Boarded
by Nature9000
Summary: Hearts boarded up, pasts filled with anger, pain, and betrayal. Tragedies and pain brought on by cold hearted and absent fathers bring friends, and even enemies, together in this heart wrenching, drama-filled tale of love, hate, joy, sorrow and anguish.
1. Shipped Off

Boarded

Disclaimer: Don't own iCarly, so don't get any ideas. I'm in the legal stuff too!

A/N: Well, I thought I'd try this for one time, see how it feels. It seems that other people have gone with this too, so I guess it might have good reception. I need to take a step away from Sam for a bit, because of personal reasons…I need to be ready to use her again. Anyway, I think you'll enjoy this story, so read on!

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Chapter 1 (Shipped Off)

Freddie stormed into Carly's apartment and sat on the couch, Carly and Sam looked over at him curiously and walked over to see what was going on. He seemed pissed, they hoped it was nothing serious. "Um, Freddie, are you okay?" Carly asked as she sat next to him.

"No, mom's finally lost it."

"What? I thought she already did," Sam said with a sarcastic laugh. Freddie rolled his eyes as Sam sipped some soda. "So what's the problem, dork-face?" He sighed and stared at the floor. He hated this, everything was going to change, he could feel it. He knew he wouldn't be able to do iCarly, his best friends were all here and nowhere else. Spencer was in the kitchen, not saying a word. He knew what was going on, as Marissa had already told him, basically asking his advice.

"Shut up, Sam. This is serious." Sam's jaw fell open, stunned and hurt. She knew he would always shoot something back at her, but never before did it sting like this did. Perhaps it was because of the emotion behind it, maybe she really did feel like the news he had was going to be upsetting to a point. "I don't think I'm going to be able to do iCarly with you guys anymore."

"What? Why!" Carly shouted as she threw her hands in the air for a moment. She thought he was quitting, again. "What's the problem _this_ time? Do you now require money or something?" She smirked and crossed her arms over. She frowned when she realized it didn't get a rise out of Freddie at all. She sighed deeply and placed an arm around Freddie's shoulder, giving him a very concerned look. "Okay, so tell us what's going on, Freddie."

"My mom and I had gotten into another argument about her overprotectiveness, and she decided that it was best for both of us if she didn't burden me so much…" Carly raised her eyebrow and Sam choked on her drink.

"Meaning?" Sam asked curiously.

"She's sending me away, where I will have the 'opportunity' to grow and 'branch out' as she says. I've been accepted into one of those really good boarding schools…"

"What!" The girls were shocked, they couldn't believe what they were hearing. How could this be happening? "Well maybe it's not so far away…"

"It's in Texas." His tone was flat and gruff, Marissa just had to send him to a far-away state. Then again, Texas did have some of the best programs in the country. Freddie muttered and slowly stood up. "I need to go, I have to tell Jonah. He's going to want to hang out."

"Wait, when do you leave?" Carly asked quickly, she didn't want to worry about having to say goodbye so suddenly. Freddie stopped next to the door and put his forehead against the wall. This was breaking him, but he had to deal with it. "You're not leaving anytime soon, are you?" He groaned and looked over at them, the girls were practically frozen, just staring at him with the greatest intensity. He knew his answer would shatter them, but he had no other choice. He hated having to see them like this, they looked so sad. He would miss them.

"I pack my things and leave on a plane Saturday." His face grew hard and both girls seemed to fall deep in the couch, Saturday was only three days away. "Mom kept this a secret from me until a week ago, I just didn't know how to tell anyone."

"Let me talk to her!" Sam said angrily as she stood up and pushed her sleeve up. "I'll convince her otherwise!" Freddie had never seen Sam acting in such a manner, he thought surely she would say something insulting. Then, she was a friend nonetheless, so of course she would miss him.

"Sam…" He smiled at her and she growled, glaring into his eyes.

"Don't mistake my intentions, Freddie. I don't care that you're going to a boarding school or something, but you are still a friend of ours. To think we are losing you so suddenly…We've known each other how long? We were all supposed to go to college together!" Carly stared at the ground, tears coming to her eyes. Sixteen was supposed to be the best age of a teenager's life, not the day they lost their best friends. There were only a couple years left before they went to college, they had _plans_. Sam had the same tears in her eyes. "What about iCarly? What happens to us?"

"I don't know, but there's no changing anything. This has to be."

"No! I won't accept it!" Freddie closed his eyes as Carly slowly stood up, she understood they had no chance at fighting this. The show was probably going to die, too, if they couldn't find a good tech producer.

"Sam, stop, let him go."

"Carly?" Sam gave her a surprised look, wondering why the hell Carly was giving in so easily.

"It's not like he _wants_ this either, but he's got no choice."

"Briggs has already taken me off the roll," Freddie said with a nervous chuckle. Currently, his time at Ridgeway was no more. As sad as he was, he had to be ready to move on with his life.

"And you're going to spend your last moments with _Jonah_?" Sam asked warily. She understood the two were best friends, they had been close for a long time, but wasn't he closer to the girls?

"He is my best friend too, he deserves to know. I'm going to do what I can to spend time with everyone, but it can't be helped anymore! It's not my fault my mother decided to keep this hidden from me." Sam gave a sigh and walked over to the couch, falling down on the cushion. She gave up, what did she care if he left?

"Just tell me one thing, where is it?" Her face hardened as Freddie reached into his pocket, he knew he had a brochure for the place. Marissa had a million of them. Sam was worried about one thing, the fact that the school was in Texas. Part of her actually hoped he would be going where she thought, because it would be great if he did, but she wasn't sure.

"Here, have a brochure, mom's got a ton." He handed Sam the brochure and started leaving the door. He glanced over his shoulder and frowned, he hated goodbyes. He never thought the day would come that he'd say goodbye to Sam and Carly. Sam's eyes widened as the door shut, the boarding school's name was far too familiar to her. Chestnut Valley, that was the boarding school her sister was going to.

"Freddie, hold on!" She looked over, but he was already gone. Carly frowned and looked over, not knowing how to explain the look on Sam's face. It seemed to a mix of varying emotions, but mainly surprise. "Carly, Freddie's going to Chestnut Valley."

"So?"

"That's where Melanie goes!" Carly gasped and looked over at the door, he didn't know that. He was in for a surprise, then. Sam grinned from ear to ear and quickly hurried to the door. "I have to tell her! She's going to love this!"

"Wait! What are you planning!"

"Nothing!" Sam knew Melanie would flip for a chance to be around Freddie, even though she was pretty sure he still didn't think she existed. Melanie still had that crush on him, so maybe this was the perfect chance to build up a friendship. She opened the door and Carly shouted at her as she closed it.

"Don't you _dare_ try and meddle in anything!"

Melanie sat in her dorm room, kicking back with her friends. She wasn't a complete tomboy like Sam, but she wasn't quite as girly as everyone thought she was. Yes, she did enjoy doing things that girls did, such as doing her nails, but she also enjoyed hanging out with the guys. Currently, she and two of her friends were painting each other's nails and chatting about boys.

She was painting her friend Kendal's nails with a light red color while her other friend, Alison, braided her hair. Kendal and Alison were polar opposites. Kendal was probably the most girly of Melanie's friends, while Alison was a bit of a gothic girl. Kendal wore pink shirts and blouses, always wore her vibrant yellow hair in a ponytail and was clumsy as hell. Alison had short hair that seemed oval in shape, wore black mascara and lipstick, always was chewing on gum, wore black tank tops and black jeans. She had a bit of a mean appearance, but was really nice when she wanted to be. Though, she did have a sarcastic nature. Her hair was probably the only thing not black, it was a very light brown color.

"So, what do you girls think of Mitchel?" Kendal asked in a girlish voice. Alison lifted her eyes skyward and slowly shook her head. Mitchel was an annoying jock who was anything _but_ smart or kind.

"He's a jerk, Kendal," Alison replied calmly while continuing to braid Melanie's hair. Kendal pouted for a moment as the other girl smirked. "If anyone's hot, it's that boy toy, Vinson."

"Ew? Really, Alison?" Kendal shuddered and Melanie raised her eyebrow curiously. Alison always did have the oddest tastes in men. Vinson was another Goth, like she was, and had bangs that practically went to his chin, covering his left eye. He was very skinny as well, hardly attractive.

"Isn't he that pasty, almost ghastly kid that's always going around talking about medieval role play?" Melanie asked with suspicion.

"He's cute!" Melanie smiled and rolled her eyes. "What about you? Have you heard back from that Freddie?" Melanie frowned and Alison quickly regretted bringing up his name, she knew it was a tender topic. "I'm sorry Mel…"

"It's okay, don't worry about it." She had never felt so hurt before when she kissed him and he _still_ thought she was Sam. If her sister was always worried about being in Carly's shadow, then she had nothing on her. Melanie had to go around, _nonexistent._ The things that did to her mentality, it was horrible. "Sometimes I wish he could have really seen me and got to know me, but it's nothing, I guess. He's there, I'm here, what could come of it."

"Yeah, let's try and find you a guy here!" Melanie chuckled nervously as her cell phone started blaring out her sister's ringtone. She smiled and stood up.

"Yeah, with the taste in men you two have, I think not." Her friends glanced at each other as she quickly hurried over to the end table next to her bed. "I have to take this, so try not to have any catfights or anything…" The two argued often, it was like oil and water coming together, they just continually clashed.

"Whatever you say, Mel." Melanie grabbed her phone and walked into the bathroom of her dorm. She hated how small the rooms were, only having enough space for a desk, a bed, chair, and television. At least it had a good view. She had a single dorm, which meant she didn't have to worry about having a roommate. That made her room a lot smaller, but still enough to live in.

"Hey Sam, what's going on?" She asked as she answered the phone. Sam's response came in an almost excited tone, even though she was trying to sound uninterested.

"Freddie's leaving us…"

"Oh my god, why?"

"His mom finally got wise and decided to send him to boarding school." Melanie frowned and slowly nodded, she knew that was probably a hard blow to the girls. Alison and Kendal peered into the bathroom door and she quickly motioned them away.

"So he's not going to be in Seattle?"

"No. You'll never guess what place she found. I told mom, and she was really surprised. He's going to Chestnut Valley!" Melanie gasped and her eyes grew wide, she couldn't believe it, Freddie was coming here. "He moves there on Saturday."

"I know some people on the school's welcoming committee, they always welcome the new students. Maybe I can talk to them…"

"You really want to see him? After the way things went when you saw him last time?" Melanie thought for a moment and her eyes narrowed, she was already starting to think up some schemes that she knew Alison would love to be a part of. Freddie deserved to be slapped for how he treated her.

"Yeah, but not just for my desire to kick him in the groin." Sam laughed and Melanie stared at her reflection in the mirror. Her eyes held both a hint of sadness and of joy. Maybe, just maybe, Freddie wouldn't think she was non-existent anymore. That was, if they could find each other, the school was pretty large.

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Well hopefully I'm right and this'll get some good reception. Maybe some of my old fans too, but I'm not going to forget my new ones anymore :). I had this idea when I saw the episode again, and I realized that I needed to take a step back from Sam for a moment. Mostly with her relationship with her mom. Anyway, we're still going to see a lot of Sam, Carly, and the others, so don't worry. Anyway, leave a review!


	2. The Welcome

Boarded

Disclaimer: Don't own iCarly, so don't get any ideas. I'm in the legal stuff too!

A/N: Well, I thought I'd try this for one time, see how it feels. It seems that other people have gone with this too, so I guess it might have good reception. I need to take a step away from Sam for a bit, because of personal reasons…I need to be ready to use her again. Anyway, I think you'll enjoy this story, so read on!

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Chapter 2 (The Welcome)

Freddie walked onto the campus and looked back at the car, the last he saw of his mother was before he got on a plane, this was just a random driver. He swore to his friends that he would keep in touch. He'd call Jonah when he could, and he'd chat with Sam and Carly all the time, if he wasn't too busy. As for this new school, he'd have to get used to certain aspects, such as a school uniform. At least he wouldn't have to deal with teachers like Ms. Briggs. Or so, he hoped he wouldn't. The driver said the welcoming committee was inside, they had just finished with a large number of students, he was the last one to greet.

He walked inside the building, feeling a bit embarrassed. His plane had been delayed, so there was no helping the fact that he missed being a part of the large group. So much for obscurity. He couldn't deny that the large school looked awesome, and the scenery was beautiful, but it still wasn't Seattle. It didn't feel quite like home to him. Everywhere he went, he saw his friends and something told him he would have to move on, but damn everyone if anyone thought he was going to do that.

He saw a small group of five people waiting around the center table, this was apparently one of the residency buildings. The group looked over at him and smiled, realizing he was the final new student. Freddie eyed their uniforms and frowned, he thought he was done with sweater vests, but clearly he wasn't. The boys were wearing a green polo shirt with brown or black sweater vests, they also had black or khaki slacks. They seemed so neat, so clean. The girls had the same, except they wore pressed skirts going to their knees.

"You Freddie Benson?" A voice said from behind. He turned around and frowned when he saw a gothic girl glaring at him with narrow eyes. She wasn't part of the welcoming group. The members frowned and shook their heads, this girl had been hanging around them all day.

"Y-Yeah, that's me. It's nice to meet you." He held his hand out, but the girl simply stared at his hand menacingly. She knew of him, and was disgusted by how he acted towards his friend.

"You hurt my friend, Benson. I don't like people who hurt my friends."

"What? I've never been here…I think you're mistaken." The girl popped her gum and swiftly kicked his leg under his knee. Freddie shouted out in pain, tears breaming at his eyes from the feeling. "Who are you? Why!"

"I have my reasons."

"Alison, leave him alone," One boy said as he walked over and patted Freddie's shoulder. He had shaggy brown hair, resting just under his chin. Alison shrugged and made another gum bubble, popping it and pulling it back into her mouth with her tongue.

"Whatever, he's a weakling anyway." She turned around and started walking off. Freddie couldn't help but wonder what he had done to her, he never met the girl before, so why did she act like he did something to her or someone she knew? The boy next to him sighed and slowly shook his head.

"Don't worry about her, she's not as scary as she seems. Anyway, my name is Kevin, it's good to meet you."

"Same…sorry I'm late, my plane was delayed."

"We know, we called the airport to make sure the plane was on schedule. It didn't take too much out of our day."

"Speak for yourself," replied a girl who was leaning against the wall. She had red, curly hair and a scowl that seemed almost as fiery as her hair was. "I was going to go to the mall with my girlfriends today, but _no_, I had to stay here with you guys."

"If you want to go home, Penny, go home. Either be positive or don't be." Penny rolled her eyes and stood up straight, putting on the best fake smile she could muster.

"Welcome to Chestnut Valley, we're really, really happy that you've chosen us as your school! Please, let us give you a tour of the campus and maybe we will meet again!" She fake coughed and covered her mouth. "Not!" Freddie blinked as the other girl in the group, a young looking girl with thick brimmed glasses, stepped in front of Penny. She had to be the youngest one there.

"I'm Selena, please forgive Penny, she's always on the down side. I honestly don't know why she's on the welcoming committee." Penny crossed her arms and scoffed, flipping her eyes to the left.

"I need some extra credits or I can't get the hell out of this school. This group was the best thing I could get into. Sucks…"

"Someone's PMSing," joked a skinny boy. He hopped off a table and held his hand out. "I'm Renaldo, don't mind Penny, she's always got something jammed up her skirt." Penny growled and Freddie slowly shook Renaldo's hand, this group really seemed to be filled with personality. "Man, I tell you, I miss surfing back home, but this school really helps with homesickness."

"You think so?" Freddie asked. Renaldo nodded and looked over at the other boy in the group, he'd been quite the entire time. He smiled at Freddie and waved. He appeared really obscure, with a curly afro and silent demeanor.

"I'm Terrance, welcome to Chestnut."

"Thanks."

"Okay, so we have the names good," Kevin said as he stared at the other members of the group. They needed to dig a little deeper into the introductions, though. After all, they wanted to give Freddie a good appearance. At least, everyone but Penny seemed like it. "Penny, how about you?"

"You know I hate that name," Penny said with a growl. Her real name was Penelope, but she hated that name too. She leaned against the wall and sighed despairingly. "First thing I do when I graduate, is change my shitty name." Kevin chuckled as Penny walked towards Freddie, shaking his head. "Anyway, sorry I came off so abruptly…probably gave you a bad impression."

"Nah, it's okay," Freddie answered with a sheepish grin. She reminded him a little of Sam, so it was actually a good thing. He didn't like Sam's overbearing personality too much, but it was still something familiar to him, so Penny didn't realize she really helped matters.

"Kevin and I are seniors, we're the oldest ones in this group. I just can't wait to graduate at the end of the year. As far as Kevin goes, I don't think he ever wants to leave this place!"

"Hey, it's not that bad!" Kevin defended. Penny smirked at him and tilted her head.

"Said like a loyal little _nut_." Kevin narrowed his eyes and shrugged as Penny walked over to Selena. "This little tyke is Selena, she's thirteen years old and involved in all the school activities!"

"Am not!" Selena remarked while pushing her glasses up her nose. She was a bookworm though, that much was evident from the fact that she was holding a book at her side. "I'm just in this, on the newspaper, on the student government…." Penny waved her hand in a circle, mocking her slightly and smirking. She laughed and rubbed Selena's head.

"You're in everything. Just accept it." Freddie smiled as Penny walked over to Renaldo. "The Hawaiian kid, loves surfing. I've not been in his dorm…" She whispered and put her hand up to her mouth. "Girls aren't allowed in the boy's dorms." She chuckled and Kevin bowed his head, blushing slightly. Freddie caught this and raised his eyebrows curiously. "Anyway, I'm willing to bet Hawaii's got his walls covered with posters of surfboards. Not like your typical boy with swimsuit model posters above their beds…" She looked over at Kevin, her eyes taunting him slightly. He rolled his eyes as she moved over to Terrance. "And finally, Terrance, the coolest 'brother' you're ever going to meet." She leaned against his afro and he quickly stepped aside.

"Hey! Don't mess the hair!" Terrance cried out, waving his hands in the air. Everyone knew she was just trying to move on and get the tour over with, she really just wanted to get home. He sighed and looked over at Freddie with a grin. "Do you play basketball? Kevin's more baseball than anything, so yeah…"

"Well, I'm _decent_ at it," Freddie said with a slight smile. Terrance grinned and did a cheer with his arm, he could probably hit Freddie up for a basketball game sometime. "Although, I do prefer baseball."

"Aw come on man!" Kevin laughed and patted Freddie's shoulder. The others snickered and Kevin decided to introduce himself.

"Well, now you get to hear from me, the captain of this little group," Kevin stated while walking towards the door. Freddie and the others followed, figuring it was time to go on the main tour. "I like Baseball, I enjoy playing the guitar, and that's about it for my likes. We need to get started with the tour, so let's explain a little about this school."

"We have uniforms of course," Renaldo stated while motioning to his clothing. "And you're really only required to wear them when attending classes or you're at a club event like we are."

"Saw you looking at our clothes earlier, you didn't seem to like them." Freddie chuckled nervously as the others shrugged. They really didn't mind, since it was an acceptable, usual reaction. "You'll get used to the whole uniform thing. They're actually lenient about dress code, to an extent. As you can see, you can wear your hair at any length." Freddie nodded as Penelope walked up to Kevin.

"Oh do tell him about the housing regulations," Penny said with a grin. She actually enjoyed the housing, all of the dormitories were literally like homes. Kevin gave her a look and she figured maybe he wanted her to explain them. "Okay, so each dormitory is shaped like a house. They have some private rooms, they have rooms with roommates…the center of each house is basically a lobby area. You're going to see several housing units, each unit has about thirty total rooms, five of which are private rooms for one person only. They're difficult to get into, you have to request them and it could take a year or two before you get one. There's approximately four thousand students that go to this school, and let's say three thousands of them are residents. Do the math, how many housing units do you think there will be?"

"Uh…" Freddie's eyes were wide, he could tell just by looking that the campus was huge, but that statement there really told a lot. "Too many?"

"Yeah, no one's really ever figured it out except for miss bookworm here." Penny pointed at Selena, who merely blushed from the embarrassment. "Either way, housing regulations are, you need to be back in your dormitory at ten o'clock sharp. Lights go out at eleven. If you get stuck outside after curfew, you're stuck…better find a place to go or hope someone passes by the door of the dormitory."

"Over there is where the basketball courts are," Terrance said as he pointed to the left. Freddie looked over and smiled, some students were already shooting hoops. Terrance gazed at them with wide eyes, he really wanted to join in the game. "Kevin?" Kevin smiled and closed his eyes, knowing what the kid wanted.

"Go ahead Terrance, I won't say anything."

"Thanks man!" Terrance then took off towards the basketball courts. One player tossed him the ball and he quickly shot it towards the hoop, missing it slightly.

"That boy can't resist that game," Selena said with a smile. Penny smirked and leaned against her shoulder.

"Just like you can't resist books, am I right?"

"No!" Selena blushed and clutched her book closely. She took a step back and Kevin rolled his eyes. "I-I just remembered, I'm needed at the library! Oops, I mean the gym!" She quickly turned around and ran off.

"She's _so_ going to the library. The gym is the other way."

"Okay Penny, that's enough," Kevin stated calmly. He knew she was just taking out her frustrations out on the other, and he couldn't deny that Selena was a bit easy, being the youngest, but now was really an inappropriate time. "I apologize for her."

"It's okay," Freddie replied while lifting a hand up. He really wasn't concerned so much with what was going on. His mind was still stuck back home, even though he knew he needed to focus on the campus. "Let's just continue with the tour, please." Kevin frowned and nodded his head, noticing the sadness in his eyes. He didn't know what to say to make him feel any better, but hopefully he'd be feeling better by the end of the weekend.

"Well speaking of the housing units, what do you know about your room."

"I have a roommate, that's about all I know. I guess I'll figure everything else out at the main office." Kevin agreed and gave a smile.

"I'll have Renaldo take you to the office when we're done here."

"Wait, why me?" Renaldo asked curiously. Usually Kevin dealt with those matters himself.

"I have other things I need to do…"

"So do I, but whatever, I'll do it."

"Thanks."

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Hope you enjoyed the chapter. By the way, go to my profile and you'll see where I put links to some pictures that I thought looked like how I'd portray certain family members of the usual characters, my oc relatives that is. Of course Jonah's and Valerie's individual family members will appear here. Anyway, 2nd chapter of this, you'll be pleasently surprised to see who Freddie's roommate is. Oh AND the issues to be resolved in this story are not _only_ centered around Freddie. The other characters in this story have real life dilemma's and problems they're facing as well. Their storylines are just secondary. Jonah's got some issues, I'm not sure what'll go on with Carly, but I think I may give her some issues involving iCarly. Perhaps iCarly coming down with harsh critique, who knows...


	3. She's Real

Boarded

Disclaimer: Don't own iCarly, so don't get any ideas. I'm in the legal stuff too!

A/N: Well, I thought I'd try this for one time, see how it feels. It seems that other people have gone with this too, so I guess it might have good reception. I need to take a step away from Sam for a bit, because of personal reasons…I need to be ready to use her again. Anyway, I think you'll enjoy this story, so read on!

Chapter 3 (She's Real)

Freddie parted ways with Renaldo and started walking towards Boy's Housing Unit 56. It wasn't too far away from the school, which was a plus. He felt bad for those who ended up being too far from the school, but at least that's what parking lots were for. He lifted his head up to the sky and sighed as the warm wind blew against his face. It was much different than Seattle, where it was almost always cool.

He slowly shook his head and muttered to himself, he wished he could see his mother so maybe he could smack her upside the head with one of those heavy looking textbooks he would end up having to carry around in his pack. His eyes widened and he realized he had forgotten completely to call up Carly and let them know he made it safely. Then again, they would understand that he had probably had a busy day. Surely it would be a lot harder when school began on Monday. It had to be tough, being the new kid.

He sat down on a curb and pulled out his cell, it had been on silent. He noticed he had quite a few missed calls. Some were from Jonah, a few from Sam, and at least a good number of calls were from Carly. He sighed and dialed up Jonah first, since he had the most recent call. "Hey Freddie," Jonah said when he answered. "How are things, you made it all right?"

"Yeah, met this amusing bunch, they were friendly. For the most part. There was this one girl who reminded me a lot of Sam." He heard a scoff in the background and his eyebrows rose slightly. Jonah sighed and clicked the phone on speaker. He could hear Carly in the background, calling for Spencer.

"There is no one in this world like me, remember that!" Sam chided into the phone. She was munching on something, she probably had a chicken leg or something. Freddie was surprised to see Jonah was with the girls.

"Sam? Carly? Why are you guys with Jonah?"

"They called me over when you never answered their calls," Jonah replied softly. He had been worried too, but he was too cool to mention that.

"Well I'm sorry about that, the tour took a while and now I'm trying to find my housing unit through all this mess."

"It should be okay," Sam said as she kicked back on the couch and placed her heels on the coffee table. "I'm thinking they probably have a system, all the odd numbers being the female units and the even ones being the guys."

"Y-Yeah, but how would you know that?" Sam shrugged as Freddie looked at the housing units, there were two basic rows going on for what seemed like miles. He was next to Housing Unit 48. "Anyway, they have a café and everything, I guess it is pretty homely, but nothing can be as home as Seattle was."

"Yeah, and don't you forget about us, buddy," Spencer said in the distance. He was at the kitchen counter, working on a sculpture, so he needed to shout a little bit. Freddie smiled and closed his eyes, how he would miss those sculptures of his.

"We missed you here," Carly said with a sad sigh. She had to hold everyone together, although Sam didn't really act like she missed Freddie at all. "Your mom's practically gone ballistic, but she said she's going to start going to this therapy program."

"She wants to be a better parent."

"Some parent, she just sent her son to boarding school," Freddie muttered under his breath. Sam caught this and growled, she didn't think boarding schools were all that bad. Melanie was doing great at one.

"Hey, don't knock the boarding schools, dweeb!" She exclaimed. Freddie rolled his eyes as Sam grabbed Jonah's phone from him, much to his discontent. "My sister goes to a boarding school, and it's the best damn thing that could have happened. She's lucky, so you should consider yourself lucky too. Yeah, lucky I can't throw you in some ditch or beat the crap out of you!"

"I didn't mean to insult your 'sister' there, Sam."

"Damn it Freddie, you're pissing me off! Melanie-" Jonah's phone beeped and cut off, as it had been low on battery. They cussed and Freddie stared at his phone with confusion, he couldn't believe he lost them. Sam had been about to tell him that Melanie was real and he needed to stop insulting her. She was going to let him figure out for himself that her sister went to Chestnut Valley, but she was getting too annoyed to keep it up.

"I lost them…crap…" He frowned and continued walking. He didn't want to waste all of his minutes calling them up, so he figured he'd talk to them tomorrow. When he finally reached his housing unit, he was impressed by the size. It had a light cream colored appearance and had a very beautiful, modern style to it. He opened the door and entered, greeting the person sitting at the front desk. "Hey, I'm Freddie Benson." The boy at the desk looked away from the television he was watching and lifted up a donut.

"You new here, Benson?" The boy asked while taking a bite of the donut. Freddie nodded and he quickly whirled around and smiled at him, crumbs falling from the corners of his mouth. "Oh shit, sorry!" He quickly wiped his mouth with a napkin as Freddie smiled nervously. "So, where are you headed?"

"Room 29A."

"That's going to be down the left hallway, keep going straight down and then take a right. Room 29 will be right there. You're on the A side, your roommate's got the B side."

"Okay, thank you." The boy gave him his official room key and turned back to the television as Freddie started searching for his room. Once he made it, he entered and smiled. The first area was a large looking room with a couch in the center and a television on the side. There were two doors, one said 29A and the other was 29B. The B side was closed. There was a coffee table next to the couch, it had an empty pizza box on it. There was a bookshelf next to the door leading into the bathroom, and quite a few decorations around the room.

He sighed and walked to his door, unlocking it with the second key he'd been given. He smiled at the sight. It was a relatively good sized room with a window on the end, there was a desk propped against the wall, facing the window. A dresser sat at the end of the twin bed. There was a closet to the left of him. He felt he had it made. He dropped all of his stuff onto his bed and walked out into the living area, perhaps it was time to meet up with his roommate. He could hear guitar music coming from the room, so it was clear the guy was in.

He walked over to 29B and knocked on the door. He heard someone cuss as the guitar music stopped playing immediately. Someone else was in the room, scurrying about, obviously trying to hide. The door opened and Kevin was soon staring back at him. "Freddie! Nice, you're my new roommate, huh?"

"Yeah, I didn't know you were my roommate. I heard the guitar, it sounded great."

"Thanks."

"Did I interrupt something? It sounded like you had a friend over or something…" Kevin chuckled nervously and rubbed the back of his neck, smiling kindly. "Uh, Kevin?"

"Yeah, you got me…" He sighed and slowly sat on the bed, forgetting that someone was still hiding underneath it. His eyes widened when he heard a feminine yelp come from beneath the bed and Penny quickly rolled out from under it. She stood up and chuckled sheepishly upon seeing Freddie, who was staring with wide eyes, surprised at what he was seeing.

"Do I want to know?"

"It was a date!" Penny snapped as she quickly crossed her arms. She wasn't even supposed to be in the dorm room, but the person at the desk didn't care. Hell, not many people cared when gender violations where broken, it was just the teachers who were strict about it. "If a teacher caught us, we'd be in a hell of a lot of trouble. Most students don't care, though."

"Okay, well…I'm sorry to disturb you two. I'll just go now…"

"No, no, it's okay!" Kevin assured, neither he or Penny really minded the intrusion. Freddie wasn't doing anything wrong.

"Yeah, I have to get going anyway," Penny said with a subtle smile. She had to get back to her own roommate, and had been hypnotized by Kevin's guitar music. She quickly kissed his cheek and smiled at him. "That was beautiful music."

"Thanks." He watched as she left the room, then looked back at Freddie. He was eyeing the room. There were a couple swimsuit model posters above Kevin's bed. He chuckled and slowly shook his head as he looked back to his roommate. "You know, it was my guitar playing that she fell in love with."

"I'm happy for you two." Freddie pulled out the desk chair and sat down at Kevin's suggestion. He leaned forward and rested his chin on his arms. "So how long have you two been together?"

"A year now."

"Amazing. I have a good friend of mine who started dating his girlfriend about a year ago…" He frowned and Kevin tilted his head, he could see Freddie would have some issues with being homesick.

"So your friends back in…where was it, Washington?" Freddie nodded and Kevin smiled, this could be perfect bonding time. "You miss them, huh?"

"Yeah. I don't know what I'm going to do now." Kevin slowly stood up and gestured for Freddie to follow him into the living area. He did so and the two sat down on the couch. Freddie watched as Kevin started up a game system.

"You can start by thinking about where you are _now_. Your friends will always be there, waiting for you when you return home. Believe me, I've been where you are now…it sucks at first, but you get used to it." Freddie smiled lightly as he stared at the console, it was a PS3. "So, you said you're into baseball? I play on the baseball team, and warm up on the video game before each game or in the free time. You any good on the console?"

"I guess…"

"Well let's see how you are." Kevin handed Freddie a controller and began setting up the game. As they started playing, Kevin decided to ask some more questions about Freddie's past in Seattle. "I know you were on that one webshow…"

"Yeah, iCarly, I have no clue what's going to happen with it now. They might ask Jonah to help, since he does know a thing or two about cameras."

"Jonah was your best friend, I guess." Freddie nodded and hit the ball thrown to him. He wasn't doing too poorly at all on the video game, and was actually a challenge for Kevin. Perhaps when they played the real thing, he might be just as good. "You know a thing or two about baseball, it seems. Maybe you should consider joining the baseball team."

"Maybe I will. So tell me, why are you on that welcoming committee? You hardly seem the type, just like Penny, but she said she needed those extra points." Kevin laughed heartedly and shook his head. One thing he loved about Penny was her pride, she just didn't want people knowing how attached to him she was.

"She says a lot of things when she doesn't want people knowing her true thoughts. _I'm_ the one on it for points, it can help for scholarship purposes. I want to be a musician someday, maybe working in a symphony."

"I can see it, from what little I heard, you seem good at it."

"Thanks. Penny, she's just on the committee because I am. Now speaking of the girls in our lives, how did Carly and Sam take the news when you told them you were coming here?"

"Hard, it seems. I think I pissed Sam off, though." Kevin's eyebrows rose as he hit a home run and ran the bases. He was really itching to play an actual game of baseball, maybe Freddie would play with him.

"Why'd you piss her off?"

"I think she likes boarding schools, not sure. I guess I insulted her or something and she told me her 'sister' is going to one." Kevin lifted his eyes skyward, thinking hard about Sam. There was always something familiar about her last name. In fact, wasn't there a girl in his class named Puckett? Yeah, of course, she was always talking about Sam! "One of those twins, she's still going on about it."

"What do you mean?"

"She tried to trick me one time, making me think she had a sister. She pranked me once before, so I didn't believe her of course."

"You…still don't, do you?"

"I don't know." Freddie shrugged as Kevin sighed and set his controller down. He slowly walked over to the bookshelf and began investigating it, rubbing his chin and looking for a certain book. "All I know is she got ticked off and evidently her so called 'sister' goes to a boarding school."

"Name?"

"She says Melanie." Then it hit Kevin, that _was_ the girl in his class. He chuckled and pulled a yearbook from the shelf. "I tried to get her on the joke, so I asked Sam on a date, thinking she wouldn't accept…but she did." Kevin's eyebrows rose and his stomach started to drop, he didn't like where this was going. "And going further into the act, Sam decides to _kiss_ me, of all things! I'm not into Sam like that, you know…"

"Please tell me you didn't…"

"What?" Freddie raised his eyebrow as Kevin started to walk over to him. "I panicked and ran off, surprised Sam of all people did that."

"Dude…your friend wasn't lying."

"Uh…what…" Kevin slowly sighed and shook his head, boy was he about to dump a heavy load onto Freddie now.

"Melanie exists man, and talk about coincidence. She's in my science class." Freddie paled and his stomach twisted inside him, he was starting to feel sick. He didn't know if he should believe it, but Kevin had opened the yearbook up and right in plain sight was a picture of Melanie.

"N-No, that can't be…"

"You're going to have to find her, man. Apologize…" Then it hit him, maybe Alison was Melanie's friend. He hadn't thought about it until now, but it would explain why Alison practically attacked him. He felt like such a chump, a jerk, he basically told Melanie to her face several times that she was nothing, that she didn't exist.

"Shit. What was I _doing_?"

"Let's think about that for a minute, shall we? What were you doing? Being a huge asshole, perhaps?"

"Yeah, thanks…" No wonder Sam was pissed off, she was just defending her sister. Maybe this was the reason he was sent here, some higher force or whatever must have intended him to cross paths with Melanie again. "Do you think I'll find her?"

"It's a big school, but I'm sure you'll see her at some point of time. Maybe when you do, you can apologize and things will be better for you."

"Yeah, if her friends don't _kill_ me first."

"What? You're worried about Alison?" Kevin laughed and patted Freddie's back, there was nothing to be scared of. "She wouldn't hurt a fly, she just likes scaring the hell out of people and is immensely defensive of her friends. Believe me, Melanie would probably put her in her place, if she's not too pissed with you."

"Yeah, I don't see this ending well." Kevin shrugged and closed up the yearbook, he had a feeling he probably would want to grab a bucket, seeing how sick Freddie looked. If he was lucky, Melanie would still be friendly to him.

* * *

Well, that's Freddie's reaction to his own stupidity for you. Nice to see his roommate is Kevin too. Well look forward to the next chapter.


	4. Boarded Hearts

Boarded

Disclaimer: Don't own iCarly, so don't get any ideas. I'm in the legal stuff too!

A/N: Enjoy.

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Chapter 4 (Boarded Hearts)

Pam was standing in the living room, her fingers tapping on her arm as she stared at the photo of her two daughters which sat on the television. She looked to the side as Sam rushed into the house, she'd been done visiting with Carly and was going to be going to the church later that night. "Sam, we need to talk about something," Pam said quietly. Sam looked over at her mom and raised her eyebrows.

"What is it?" Sam asked with a sheepish smile. She knew the look her mom was giving her, she knew something was up. It was the same look Carly always gave her whenever she knew Sam was up to something. Hell, Carly probably learned it from Pam.

"I just got through talking to Marissa. We ran into each other at the mall." Sam frowned and slowly started walking towards the stairs, she now needed an escape plan. Pam cleared her throat and Sam froze as her foot stepped onto the first step. "Not so fast, missy." Sam winced and slowly turned around, she was in trouble. "Marissa and I talked about Freddie going to boarding school…"

"You did? How is she taking it anyway?"

"Hard, but she says it's for the best right now." Sam slowly nodded, she respected Marissa for the decision, although she hated having Freddie so far away. In fact, iCarly was probably going to suffer now. Jonah wasn't even sure he wanted to be their tech producer, considering his past with the girls. Even his girlfriend was a bit awkward about it.

"I'm glad, now let's just see how much it affects the show."

"I think your show is going to be just _fine_, Samantha." Sam winced as her mom grabbed her backpack and started pulling it, along with her, over to the couch. She sat Sam down and stared into Sam's eyes. "Why?" She looked up at her mom with the most innocent looks ever, she hoped it would work, but it hardly ever did. It wasn't like the days when she and Melanie could play pranks and give their mom a cute look and get away with every little wrong thing possible.

"What is it Mommy?"

"Oh stop it. Marissa told me that you helped her choose a boarding home." Sam cursed inwardly and Pam smirked triumphantly, thrilled to have caught Sam in the act. Sam rolled her eyes and started muttering. All she wanted to do was get Freddie to see Melanie for who she was, for the real person with the real heart. He needed to know how much he had hurt her when she last visited. "Sam, please tell me it wasn't _your _idea to send him to a school. Do you even know the ramif-"

"It wasn't my idea." She was honest about that, she had actually overheard Marissa and Spencer talking about it. She couldn't figure out what boarding schools in the country were good enough. "It just so happens that Chestnut Valley was one of her selections. I only nudged her in the direction, letting her know that I heard great rumors about it."

"Why did you do that?" Sam pressed her lips together and slowly stood up, grabbing her backpack and holding it over her shoulder.

"I did it for Melanie. She doesn't know it, neither does Freddie, but I wanted him to see her for who she really was." Pam's eyebrows rose, she was both stunned and impressed. Sam actually did something good for someone even though she didn't get anything out of it. Blinking once, she thought better of that, she was always complaining about how annoying Freddie was, so him being all the way in Texas _was_ a bit of a benefit to her. "Carly told me not to play matchmaker a few days ago, but there's really nothing I can do from here. I do kind of think they'd make a good couple, but I don't know if that would actually happen." Pam laughed and patted Sam's shoulder while walking past the confused youth.

"You never know. You could have just sent a snowball downhill for all you know."

"Wait, what does that mean?" A snowball, when sent down a hill, grew larger, snow clinging to it as it rolled. Basically, it was one way to say the cliché phrase started the ball rolling. Her eyes widened and she quickly turned to her mom, who was now halfway into the kitchen. "That's not possible! I don't do good things like that!"

"You just _did_." Her tone was a sing-song one. Sam gasped and clutched her chest, she actually did something _good_ to Freddie. She sent him to a girl who actually liked him. What was she thinking?

"Oh my god, what is that?"

"Compassion."

"No!" Sam quickly ran up the stairs, not hearing her mom laughing from behind. She quickly slammed her bedroom door behind her and pressed her back up against it. Oddly, it felt good having done something nice for Freddie. He _was_ her friend after all. She quickly pulled out her cell and started dialing Jonah up. When he answered, he yawned, as he had been taking a nap. "Jonah!"

"What the hell?" Jonah asked when he heard Sam's voice. He sighed and let his head fall to the couch armrest. "Why are you calling me?"

"I just realized I did something good for Fred-dork!"

"Okay…" He slowly sat up and stared out the window, he was actually irritated that since Freddie being gone, Carly and Sam both had been confiding in him. It was like they expected him to be their Freddie, but he couldn't fulfill that role. "Not to sound harsh or anything, but you're calling me _why_?"

"Well I thought since Freddie was your friend-"

"Telling me that you did something good for him would do what? Make me feel better? Are you wondering how it affects us guys when something like that happens? If you're concerned, ask him. I know I'm his best friend, but keep in mind that I am not replacing him for you. I am not the guy friend for you and Carly to confide in."

"Sorry, I didn't mean to wake you from your nap, geek." Jonah groaned and rubbed his eyes with his hand.

"Again. Not Freddie." He hung up the phone and sighed, feeling that he was being too hard on her. It was normal, he supposed, for people to start trying to confide in the closest friend to someone who basically goes away. He had his own issues going on, though. He just lost his best friend too and he wanted to be alone. He was looking out for Marissa, though, as per Freddie's request. She needed someone there so she wouldn't have to worry too much. He found it awkward sometimes, because she would try and do some things she did with Freddie, like eat those cucumber things she liked to make so much. He didn't care so much for them, though. At least she wasn't as crazy and fanatical with him, knowing that he was not her son.

"Hey son, can we talk?" His father asked from the doorway. Jonah frowned and held his hand up, waving his dad off.

"No, I'm thinking pops." His dad sighed and closed his eyes, walking back into his study. Jonah slowly stood up and moved to the window, gazing out of it. He smiled when he saw Valerie walking down the street. He walked out the door and met her halfway down the sidewalk. "Hey Val."

"Jonah!" Valerie grinned and hugged him, she had been coming to see him after all. "I was wondering if you wanted to come to church with me and my family. You and your dad, that is." Jonah looked back to the house, then back to Valerie and shrugged.

"Well I don't know about my old man, he's busy as always, but I'm free!" Jonah grinned and gave Valerie a quick kiss. She frowned and looked back at his house for a second, she never really thought much about his home life, but she did wish he was closer to his dad. Valerie's church was casual, so he would wear what he thought was casual. His dress for church usually consisted of a black leather jacket over a solid colored t-shirt and jeans. He was trying to grow his hair out, so he didn't know much about how her church looked at that. "You don't think they'll mind about my hair, do you?" It wasn't very long yet, but it did go over his ears.

"They won't mind." Valerie held his hand and returned his kiss. Her sisters loved him, as did her mother. Her dad was the one that always seemed to watch Jonah like a hawk, but the two were getting along well. Though every time they went out on a date, her dad was the one to look Jonah square in the eye and tell him to have her back at a certain time, with no surprises, or else he'd have to hunt him down. He only acted tough because he basically married into a military family and wasn't military himself.

"Well that's good. I guess I should go to your place later, then? Assuming that you're all leaving together."

"Actually I was coming over to see if you wanted to head over to my place now." The family was planning to go to church a little earlier than usual, so they wanted him over sooner if he chose to come.

"Yeah, let me grab my clothes and I'll be ready."

"Okay." They entered the house and Valerie waited in the living room while Jonah ran to his bedroom. She always loved being in his home, there was always a good feeling whenever she entered, like there was a good spirit watching it. She looked up at a picture on the wall and smiled, it was of Jonah's family. Michael was standing in one corner of the picture, holding his arms around his wife's waist. The woman was holding a small baby, Jonah.

"She's beautiful isn't she?" A voice asked from behind. Valerie looked back and smiled, seeing Michael standing behind her. She nodded and looked back at the picture. The woman had a light auburn hair color which seemed to breeze down her neck and grace her shoulders, it had an almost fluffed style to it. Her eyes were a beautiful brown and with her smile, it was a soft, heavenly smile. She looked like an angel, watching over the house. "She was the pillar holding this family together, it seems."

"You had a beautiful wife. You seemed so happy in this picture…" She knew Denise died a few years ago, and Jonah's life practically fell apart then. She knew Michael's must have as well, but neither man ever seemed to talk about it. If only they did, then maybe things would get better for them. "My family's going to church, we just invited Jonah…he said you were busy today. Is that true?" She looked at him sadly and he frowned, shrugging his shoulders softly.

"Jonah…he, uh, he does his own thing. Sure, I am busy these days, so I probably wouldn't make it." Valerie knew it would mean the world to him if his son would pay him some mind, even the littlest time would mean the world. Why feel like you lost both your wife and child?

"Well, just know the offer still stands."

"I know. I just have some work to keep me right now." He slowly walked towards his study. His movements really had slowed since Denise passed. He increased his workload and started working at home, wanting to stay close to Jonah and keep the family alive, but something just seemed to leave when Denise passed. Valerie looked back to the picture as Jonah walked out into the living room.

"Well, I'm ready to go whenever you are," Jonah said with a small smile. He looked at the picture and frowned slightly as Valerie turned back to him and smiled at him.

"Okay, let's go."

Two hours later, the family was sitting in their usual pew at the church. They practically took it up every time they went, the church members often joked about putting a 'reserved for William's' sign on their pew. Viola sat outside the pew, in her wheelchair. In the pew on the edge, holding her hand, was her husband Victor. Next to him was their eldest child, Vanessa. Then was Valerie, holding Jonah's hand as he watched earnestly as the choir members started getting into their booth. Veronica was next to him, Victoria and Vixen sat next to her, but they were currently going up to the choir, as they were members of it too.

The entire church body stood up to sing the hymns. Valerie looked back over her shoulder and smiled slightly, seeing Michael in one of the back pews. He had come after all, but Jonah wouldn't know. She closed her eyes and turned back to the choir.

It was like Jonah and their father had their hearts boarded up, and it was destroying them, whether they knew it or not. No, it wasn't like that at all, they _were_ boarded.

* * *

See, everybody's got their own issues. This isn't even the peak of it all yet. Next chapter, Freddie and Melanie meet. Hope you enjoyed this one.


	5. Three Strikes And You're Out

Boarded

Disclaimer: Don't own iCarly, so don't get any ideas. I'm in the legal stuff too!

A/N: **OKAY READ ONLY IF YOU REVIEW ANONYMOUSLY. IF NOT, START READING THE CHAPTER: **I'm pissed, here's why.

"Too many characters, last chapter seems as a filler. Unless you will develope all the plot lines equally. If you do, better write a book, because it will take a lot of your time, if not, better concentrate on the main characters."

Yet another cowardly user decided to review anonymously so I can't possibly ANSWER and thus I have to answer here. Now, here's what I'm pissed. You're telling _me_ the AUTHOR how to write MY STORY. MY VISION. That's like telling the painter who did the Mona Lisa, how he should paint HIS vision. BACK OFF. Now first, a lot of the characters you see aren't going to be used again, I still haven't found any use for the other members of that welcoming committee, and Valerie's sisters aren't going to be important, they had to be seen for the church though. Plot, OTHER CHARACTERS HAVE LIVES, and as in my story, a lot of those plots affect the main character as well. For example, I didn't want to have to spoil this but you forced it out of me, Carly and Sam will end up growing distant, why I'm not saying, but it affects Freddie and Melanie in some ways. Look. I'm the writer here, I'm the artist, you can critique by telling where you found grammar errors or even what you liked or didn't, but you don't tell the author how to write their story, or you may as well write it yourself. And you think you can write it better? GO FOR IT. You should give it a chance before you flame it and majorly offend the author.

And yes, I work out all the "plots" equally. There is only ONE plot to a story, and every character is involved in some way. I may not write the way you like, I may not write where only two characters exist on a central plane and all others just stand there, idle for the rest of their lives, doing absolutely NOTHING. If that's what you like, I'm sorry, I don't do that. And for you to say "Write a book" and that the last chapter was a filler. YOU'VE NEVER READ A BOOK IN YOUR LIFE, unless you count Twilight. 1. NO CHAPTER IS A FILLER, EVERY CHAPTER IS ESSENTIAL TO THE PLOTLINE, EVERY CHARACTER IS ESSENTIAL TO THE PLOTLINE. For instance, I wasn't going to make Keven and Penny the only members of the welcoming committie, think realistically, there's usually a group. And hello, I've written SEVERAL stories, in case you haven't noticed, I KNOW HOW MUCH TIME THEY TAKE ME. You have to research thoroughly your subjects, you have to take care with every litttle bit, and so forth.

I'm sorry if my rant took up so much time and if I went a little overboard, but I've had a frustrating day _and_ to top it off, I am sick and tired of getting anonymous reviews that I can't answer through a PM system! If you can't ask me something or say something while using an account, then screw it. Anyway, I apologize. This chapter is where Megan and Freddie finally meet. Please enjoy the chapter, and review.

By the way, lantern, I LOVE your reviews, I appreciate every review I get, except for some like the one above.

* * *

Chapter 5 (Three Strikes, You're Out)

It was Monday, the day of reckoning. Freddie was nervous as hell, not just because of the classes, but because Kevin was going to introduce him to Melanie. As far as his schedule went, it looked crazy as hell. He had to wake up at six every single day of the week, get ready and go eat breakfast at 7 AM. It was an hour long, then period 1 began. After that, he had to walk across the campus at 9:30 for Assembly, morning announcements, and daily prayer. This lasted thirty minutes. At 10, it was time for second period. It was split at 11 by a fifteen minute break, then continued until 11:30. At that time, period 3 began. This lasted until 12:20, which was when students broke for lunch in the center of the campus. Lunch was an hour long. Period 4 then went from 1:30 to 2:30 and Period 5 went until 3:30. After that, was sports and/or free time until 5:00. Dinner was at the Grand Hall from that time until 6:30. After that, students were free to roam the campus or go to their dorms.

Kevin and Freddie compared their schedules, it wasn't uncommon that Juniors and Seniors held the same classes. They shared two out of five classes, Math and Science. Freddie swallowed hard as he clutched his schedule in his hand, standing in the middle of the campus. The dreaded science class was the one which Melanie shared with Kevin. He didn't want to go, he really didn't. Thankfully, it wasn't until the final period. Afterwards, he and Kevin were going to go play baseball. Well, Kevin was going to play, Freddie would watch. Kevin had practice to attend, Freddie just wanted to see how the game was played.

"Hey man, hurry up, you don't want to be late," Kevin said as he patted Freddie's shoulder and walked past him. He glanced back and smirked, knowing full well what was on the man's mind. He was afraid to face Melanie, because he knew he must have hurt her. "Come on, you just have to take responsibility for your actions."

"Not until 2:30, as far as this is concerned!" Kevin laughed as Freddie held up his schedule. They actually were done with lunch, so they had to head to their fourth class. This was the math class.

"You know I'm going to be there, right? God forbid she talks to you and you pretend she's not there by ignoring her."

"Oh, what, I can't do that?" Freddie smirked sarcastically and Kevin rolled his eyes. He sighed and grabbed Freddie's backpack and started pulling him to class, Freddie could not afford being late on his first day, and it really wouldn't do Kevin any good to be late either. "I can walk, man!"

"Then walk." He let Freddie go and started walking towards the classroom. Freddie sighed and dusted himself off. This day had shown him just how different boarding school had been from public school, and it scared him. Some of the teachers were actually _worse _than Ms. Briggs! Then, there were some nice ones as well. "Trust me man, you don't want to visit the dean on your first day of school. Talk about bad first impressions!"

"I know!" He quickly hurried into the classroom with Kevin. For the next hour, they sat, writing down the notes from the lecture. Freddie was so close to snapping his pencil, he'd never had this much trouble with math before. It was hard! Did they never catch a break? Maybe the next class would be the same, and they wouldn't have the _chance_ to talk. That way he didn't have to deal with Melanie right away. Of course, he knew Kevin wasn't letting him go with not talking to her. And it wasn't like he didn't want to, he was just so nervous, from feeling that overwhelming guilt.

"Hey dude, come on already!" He felt Kevin shove his shoulder and looked up, people were leaving the classroom. He'd been so tuned to his thoughts that he hadn't even noticed the bell ring. A chill went down his spine as he realized what was next, and he had to face it like a man. "You know she'll respect you more if you just admit you were wrong and apologize, right?" Freddie nodded and gathered his work utensils while standing up. "You'll be fine, Freddie."

The two walked slowly to the science class. With each step, his heart seemed to pound harder than the last, and he began to sweat. When they made it in and took their seats, they watched the door closely. Melanie should be walking in at any time. Freddie noticed Kevin had a confused look on his face, looking around the room worryingly. Something wasn't right, there were too many students out today. Suddenly, he realized what was going on. "What's wrong Kevin?"

"Melanie won't be in class today, the tennis team has to practice early. They're taking time from the fifth period block!"

"Really?" Freddie chuckled nervously and looked at the board in front of him. So, Melanie was on the tennis team. Kevin smirked and leaned back in his chair, he knew Freddie shouldn't feel so lucky just yet. He was forgetting what came next.

"This means they'll be out there with all the sports, probably finishing up before my baseball practice. You're still going to get to see her."

"Oh great…" He could cope, but it didn't mean he wasn't going to fear for his life when he met her. She wasn't like Sam, he knew that much, so maybe she wouldn't break any of his bones. Although, she did appear to have a friend who _would_ break his bones. Freddie sighed despairingly as he put his notebook on the desk and waited for the professor to enter.

The class seemed to go by quickly and Freddie followed Kevin out to the baseball pen. It wasn't far from the tennis players, so he started wondering if he should hide. While Kevin started to suit up, he could hear the grunts and shouts from the tennis courts. He decided to go over and watch, stepping next to a tree.

The players were switching out now. That's when he saw her, Melanie, running to her position. She was gripping the racket firmly in her hands and had a black headband around her head. Her hair was up in a ponytail. His jaw fell for a moment as he stared at her. She was _hot_! She may have been Sam's twin, but she didn't look a _thing_ like Sam.

"You're drooling," Someone said from behind. His eyes widened as a hand went under his chin and hit it upwards. He looked back to see Alison and Kendal standing next to him. They must have spotted him from the distance. It was Kendal that had spoken. "So, you're Freddie."

"Y-Yeah, that's me…" He was eyeing Alison, fearing for his life. She was glaring at him, it wasn't hard to tell that she didn't like him. Kendal didn't seem to care much. Her face lit up and she quickly hugged him. "Uh…are you normally this friendly?"

"I'm like, totally iCarly's biggest fan!" Alison groaned and slapped her forehead. She couldn't believe how ditzy Kendal could be. She grabbed the back of her pink shirt and pulled her away from Freddie, narrowing her eyes and glaring at her.

"Kendal, he's our _enemy_. Remember that, _enemy_, say it with me!" Kendal rolled her eyes and sighed as she crossed her arms, Alison was really going too far with this. It made sense, though, with how loyal she was. Freddie gulped and tugged on his collar, now he was really starting to worry.

"Please Alison, Melanie doesn't hate him like that, so why should you?"

"He treated her like she didn't _exist!_ Come _on_, Kendal! Are you stupid? Oh wait, don't answer that. You are!" Kendal gasped and hurt flooded her eyes. Freddie took a slow step back as the two girls started bickering, forgetting him. He quietly, carefully moved from that location and went to another and watched the game.

Melanie seemed so focused, nothing distracted her. He watched as she served the ball, hit left, hit right, ducked down and slammed the ball across the court. It was like a battle, but a dance at the same time, so graceful. So beautiful. He couldn't take his eyes off her for a second, she was gorgeous. How the hell could Sam have a sister like this? It just wasn't fair!

He glanced over at the two girls, they hadn't even noticed he left yet, and were _still_ going at it. He heard someone call out 40 and Love, Melanie was winning the game. Suddenly he heard the crack of a bat, Kevin must be starting! Freddie yelped and quickly ran over to the baseball area. That was when Michelle realized he was watching and looked away, but it cost her the shot and she missed the ball. It didn't matter much to her, though. She didn't know Freddie had been watching. It was hard to believe he was actually there, but there he was, running in the direction of the baseball pen. Her opponent shot the ball to her and she quickly hit it back, getting her head back in gear and scoring the point.

"Game!" Shouted the ref.

Freddie was now watching the intense game of baseball, Kevin was on the second base and getting ready to take third. It was a pity, Freddie missed Kevin hitting the ball initially, but that was fine, he enjoyed just watching. He could actually see himself playing the sport. Thank god he had transferred to this school during the start of the year, he could try out for the team.

The person at bat hit the ball and sent it flying, it was a home run. Freddie watched with admiration as the players all ran around the bases. This was an awesome team, he desperately wanted to be a part of it. The game was so intense that he didn't notice someone step next to him. He did hear the swishing of a water bottle, but paid it no mind. He did start to care when he saw Kevin give him a look from the bench and point. He turned around and his eyes grew wide, it was Melanie. "Hi Freddie."

"M-M-Melanie!" Up close, he could feel the steam. The sweat on her body glistened in the sun, making her appear to shine remarkably. She took another drink of her water and Freddie watched her neck move slightly. Her hair seemed to sway and bounce along her back, brushing gracefully and sticking to where any skin was showing. She sighed and capped her bottle, glancing into the sky as the warm sun beat down on her.

"Ah damn, and I _so _wanted to make you think I was Sam." She paused for a minute and looked at Freddie with a raised eyebrow, that was when it hit her that he knew she wasn't Sam. How in the hell did that happen. "Wait a minute, you called me _Melanie?_ Oh my god, you actually _do_ know I exist? You don't think I'm just a figment of our imagination, maybe you're missing Carly and Sam so much that you're seeing Sam and I'm really just a hallucination. In fact, weren't they supposed to talk about hallucinations in science today?"

"I uh, well, you see, I…" Melanie smirked and crossed her arms. Freddie was baffled, he _never_ had this much trouble talking to a girl before. Even Kevin could see he was having trouble, and was laughing his ass off. If there hadn't been so many people around, Freddie would have jokingly flipped him off. As for now, he just needed to figure out how to stop stuttering. "Well, Sam, you, I, Oh shit just shoot me already…"

"I would gladly do that," Alison said as she stepped next to Melanie, smirking and crossing her arms over. Kendal rolled her eyes and walked up to the other side. Melanie sighed and glanced over to Alison.

"No Alison, you will not harm him."

"I know, I know, hands off!" Kendal laughed and Alison quickly hit her in the arm.

"Ow!" Kendal screamed out. Alison rolled her eyes and placed her hands on her hips.

"Oh come on Kendal, I didn't even hit you that hard!"

"It was hard enough Ally!"

"You are the prissiest girl I've ever met!" She groaned in frustration and threw her hands up in the air. Kendal gasped and placed her hand to her chest.

"I can't believe you would say that about me!"

"Oh there's a _lot_ to be said about you!" Melanie closed her eyes and sighed. She really wanted to talk to Freddie, and here were her two best friends fighting like Germany and France. She was pretty sure they were going to end up digging trenches and start chucking grenades at one another.

"Girls, please stop," Melanie snipped. Alison and Kendal looked at her and frowned, seeing that she was serious. They were apologetic, of course, it wasn't as though they didn't understand how serious such a matter was to her. After all this time, running into Freddie like this, and here they were fighting like there was no tomorrow.

"Sorry Mel, we'll quiet down, but we are _not_ leaving you alone with him." Freddie gulped as Alison slammed her fist into her palm. She didn't trust him with Melanie. "If he says anything to hurt you, he's going to answer to _me_."

"You're my best friend, not my 'protector', Alison." Alison shrugged as Melanie and Freddie turned to the game. Kevin was back up to bat. He was warming up with the bat and staring the pitcher down. "So you like baseball, Freddie?"

"Yeah, I've always had a bit of an interest in it," Freddie said quietly. He looked down as Melanie looked over at him. She smiled vaguely and closed her eyes. God he was handsome. Alison and Kendal saw the look in her eyes, she was still very much into him. Kendal tugged Alison's sleeve and whispered.

"Perhaps we shouldn't be so hard on him."

"I know, but I'm still keeping an eye on him," she whispered in response. Until he proved that he wouldn't hurt Melanie, then Alison was _not_ giving in to his charms, no matter what.

"So Freddie, when did you realize I was _real_?" Freddie chuckled nervously as Alison narrowed her eyes. He could feel her heated glare burning into him.

"I'd rather not answer that right now…" He frowned as the pitcher threw the ball and Kevin missed.

"Strike one!"

"Oh, I understand, I guess," Melanie said with a frown. Freddie winced slightly and rubbed his neck, he really was nervous. "So, you know Kevin? He's in my science class."

"Yeah, he's my roommate. We also share math and science. I was not looking forward to class today, though…"

"Why? Was it because you knew I had the class too?" Kevin missed the next ball.

"Strike two!"

_"Damn it_," Freddie thought as Melanie eyed the game. She knew she wouldn't really get anywhere with Alison and Kendal standing there, but she didn't want to make them go away. "I uh, ye-no, no it wasn't that. It was nervousness knowing you were there, ah!" Melanie smiled at that, he slipped up and revealed to be nervous meeting up with her. He quickly turned to her and started waving his hands in the air. "I was nervous about the science class! I mean the whole day, I'm new, It's all hectic and-"

"Don't worry about it, Freddie." She leaned forward and whispered into his ear, so Alison and Kendal wouldn't hear her. "The campus isn't _horribly_ strict, boys and girls are allowed to mix dorms until 8:00. After that, they need to be out of the dorms or they could get in serious trouble if caught. Meet me at my dorm tonight, we'll talk seriously. 11A. 7:00…be there."

"O-Okay, I'll do that." Freddie blushed lightly as Melanie started walking off. Alison held her glare on him for a second, rolled her eyes and followed her friend. Kendal smiled at Freddie, then hurried off. He sighed and turned to see Kevin hit the third ball out of the park.

"Home run!" Freddie clapped and cheered as Kevin and the players on the bases ran around the field.

* * *

Hopefully you caught what I was doing there with the strikes and the storyline. Freddie almost struck out, but it looks like they'll be seeing each other again pretty soon. Again, sorry for the long rant at the top, been a stressful day, not sure why either lol. Anyway, looks like the title can work for this too, I'm just getting tired of the _ignorant _anonymous reviews, not the good ones, and I'm probably going to be turning them off pretty soon...


	6. The Meet

Boarded

Disclaimer: Don't own iCarly, so don't get any ideas. I'm in the legal stuff too!

A/N: Enjoy.

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Chapter 6 (The Meet)

Freddie and Kevin started walking towards all the housing units, they were holding bats in their hands and chatting about baseball. When practice was over, Kevin and Freddie played a game. Freddie did a little better than he thought he would, but could still use some more practice. Kevin thought he was good enough to make the team, though.

"You should have seen how far you hit that ball, man!" Kevin said as he looked proudly into the sky. Freddie nodded and smiled slightly, he really did have fun. "You _have_ to join the team, I think you'd make a great asset!" Freddie nodded and swung the bat in front of him, grinning widely. He really did want to be on the team. "Tryouts are next week, do you think you're going to try out for the team then?"

"Yeah, of course, I'm stoked for them!"

"Awesome!" Kevin grinned and thought back to seeing Melanie with Freddie. He smirked and looked at Freddie, they had yet to talk about how that went. "_So_, Freddie…" Freddie looked over, unsuspecting. "About Melanie…" Freddie's eyes widened and his face grew red. That was right, he needed to meet up with her. It was twenty till seven, he had to find her dormitory. "I couldn't help but notice how you were acting around her…details, Benson. Details."

"I was surprised by her, that's all!"

"You went off to watch her at tennis." Kevin smirked and narrowed his eyes, he knew he struck something. Freddie was starting to panic, he could tell. "You think she's hot?"

"I am _not_ answering that!" It didn't matter if he answered or not, Kevin could easily see Freddie's face glowing redder.

"Says the ripe tomato…" Freddie gasped and shook his head, trying to shake off the blush that was creeping onto his face. Damn Kevin for being able to read him. "Have you _ever_ stuttered like that with any girl before?"

"Truthfully? No." Not even Carly had that effect on him. He couldn't understand it. Melanie basically looked the same as Sam, obviously, since they were identical. So why was it he found himself strangely attracted to her, but not to Sam? "What I don't understand is the whole attraction thing. I shouldn't be attracted to her."

"Attraction isn't always just physical, you know. It could be personality or any number of things."

"She probably hates me…" Freddie had been stung with guilt when he saw her. He knew he had to have really messed with her mind when she visited them, it was unfair to her. He really wouldn't hold it against her if she never really wanted to talk to him again.

"That's just the thing Freddie. Didn't you say earlier that she wanted you to go see her? If she hated you, then why would she even be talking to you?"

"Pity, perhaps?" Freddie laughed and Kevin lifted his eyes skyward. He pointed to his watch and Freddie's eyes grew large, it was getting closer to seven. He didn't want to be late. "Crap! Here take my bat!" Kevin chuckled as Freddie handed him his baseball bat and ran off.

Melanie sat at her desk, typing a status update on her computer. She looked at the time and frowned, it was almost 7. Freddie was late. She had managed to get Alison and Kendal away so she and Freddie could have some private time. She pushed herself away from the desk and moved to her bed, she was starting to grow tired and would probably end up going to bed early. Just as she started to lie down, she heard a frantic knocking. She smiled and moved to her front door, knowing it had to be Freddie. She opened the door and saw him looking nervously at her.

"You're late, Freddie."

"Sorry, that game got a bit intense."

"Well, come in. You don't have long though…let's talk." She smiled as Freddie entered her room cautiously. He was very afraid of what might happen in the next few minutes. He just kept thinking, since she was Sam's sister, then perhaps she had the same mean streak. The way she acted when they met the first time, though, when he thought she was Sam, she really didn't act like she had a mean streak at all. "It's been a couple years, hasn't it?"

"Something like that…" Melanie led him to her bedroom and sat on the bed, he took the desk chair. "So you don't have a roommate, huh?" Melanie sighed tiredly in recollection.

"Yeah, I've been here ever since you guys started iCarly and finally got a private room a year ago. Every roommate I had was too problematic for me."

"How many roommates did you have?" Freddie thought you had the same roommate during the entire time, that was how Kevin made it out to be. She said she was sent here around the time iCarly began, which meant she'd been here for five years at least.

"I've had 7 roommates total. One moved, transferred out, another one dropped out…one was unruly and tempermental, she had been forcibly moved to a private room. I don't know what happened to her. The other four, all got expelled one way or another."

"Damn. I bet you're glad to have your own room, then."

"More than you'll _ever_ know." She laughed happily and Freddie smiled at her, she had a very lovely laugh. It was much different than Sam's laugh, Melanie's seemed more real and not so forced out. How could he have been so stupid to think Sam was tricking him? Melanie was as real as any other girl he'd ever met, maybe even more real than some. He bowed his head and huffed, slowly tangling his fingers together. He slowly looked up at Melanie to see her watching him, she smiled when they made eye contact and looked away. "I'm going to go to the restroom, I'll be right back."

"Okay." He watched as she got up and left. He decided to take the opportunity to look around the room. There were several scenic posters on the walls with encouraging words of wisdom, he couldn't help but wonder if Melanie was a deep thinker. He looked at the computer and noticed she had been working on an essay, it seemed very well typed and well researched. He smiled and eyed the desk, there were some collectable items sitting on it. The bed had an almost floral pattern and a shelf above the bed held a few trophies and one Barbie doll. It had no hair.

Also on the shelf was a photo of Melanie and her sister, they were making faces at the camera. He chuckled and looked down at the floor, seeing something sticking out from under the bed. He pulled it out with his foot and saw it was a poster of iCarly. It had the name of the show on the bottom while Carly, Sam, and Freddie walked down some road together. The thing that made his eyebrows raise was the small heart next to him and the words under it that read 'I have a crush.' He smiled, a warm feeling started to overtake him. Just then, he heard the bathroom door shut, so he quickly pushed the poster underneath with his foot. He looked up and smiled as Melanie entered and sat down on her bed, patting her pants down.

"Sorry about that, Freddie. You have my full, undivided attention." Freddie chuckled and leaned back in his chair. Damn she was cute. The memory of that date seemed to play over and over in his mind, all the way up to that kiss.

"Melanie, I know nothing can explain how sorry I am for before." A hurt look flashed in her eyes and she quickly, carefully shrugged it off.

"It's okay, Sam explained everything that happened anyway…I just-"

"I know I probably offended you and hurt you with how I acted. Hell, if I didn't, Alison sure showed me when we met…" Melanie chuckled nervously as Freddie rubbed his leg, he was still feeling the blow she had given him. "I want you to know that I want to make up for that however I can."

"Yeah, well…" She had her ideas of the things she wanted to do with him, but felt right now it would be too soon. He was new to the campus and would probably need to be shown around at least. Or if anything, be made to feel more comfortable. "So, I guess you might feel just a bit homesick?"

"Homesick?" He thought for a minute and slowly nodded his head, he really did miss everyone back in Seattle. "I know I should move on, but it is difficult to get used to this new place." Melanie nodded and slowly stood up, walking over and placing her hand gently on his shoulder.

"Well you know where to find me. I'll always be around, you know. Now that you know I actually exist, right?" She smirked and he winced, she probably wasn't going to let that go for a while. "I'll try to keep Alison on the calm and easy, but you know she's probably going to watch you like a hawk. You know how friends are." He couldn't deny the truth there, he and the girls had always been a tight group, just as he and Jonah had been. They always made sure to take care of each other. "By the way, where did you sit during Science class?"

"Um, my seat is in the third row, two desks down from the door." Melanie nodded and created the visual image in her mind. She grinned happily when she realized where he was sitting.

"You sit next to me! Awesome!" She cleared her throat and looked into his eyes. She just wanted to hold him close to her or let him hold her and never let go.

"Yeah it is. I'm happy to sit next to you, you seem like a sweet girl too." Melanie blushed as Freddie pointed up to the Barbie doll he saw. "By the way, what's up with the doll?" She looked over at it and chuckled, it was something sentimental for her.

"Would you believe it belonged to Sam a long time ago?"

"Really?" He stifled a laugh as Melanie reached up and pulled the doll down.

"Yeah…she lit the hair on fire once." Now, that sounded more like Sam than her simply owning the doll. "Had to put it in a sink full of water…she let me have it as a part of her to watch over me while I was away here."

"How do you feel about it here?"

"I miss my sister, I'll say that much." Melanie laughed lightly and clutched the doll tightly. She closed her eyes and gingerly set the doll on the shelf. "Miss my mom too…" Freddie nodded his head as Melanie sighed and folded her arms over. "You get used to the homesickness though. "It's really a great school with great people. You'll find it really gives you that feeling of home, probably."

"Yeah, I can't say how much I miss the others. I find it a bit strange that I ended up coming here though."

"You know, something tells me I know how you wound up here." She smiled politely and eyed Freddie. She suspected Sam of getting him here, she really enjoyed having him on the campus though. "I just want to make sure you realize that I am _not_ Sam."

"I know-"

"No, you don't." Freddie frowned and looked at her with concern, he really hoped he didn't affect her that much. She could see the worry in his eyes and slowly shook her head, she wanted to comfort his thoughts. "In physical appearance, obviously I look like her. I am a bit taller, sure…but what I mean is personality wise. I am _not_ Sam. We have different thoughts, different feelings, but yeah…same heart."

"I understand, and I won't ever compare you two."

"She'd be happy to hear that." Melanie chuckled and looked over at her computer. She sighed and moved over to it. "Mom often compares us, I think it really hurts Sam sometimes."

"Maybe if she paid more attention to your mom…"

"Maybe, but nowadays it seems people just don't care so much for their parents if something screws up." Freddie slowly nodded and looked up at the clock, he needed to start heading back before it became too late for him to get back into the dorm or get caught in the female's dormitory. Melanie looked at him vaguely and gave him a quick hug, causing his face to turn red. "Go back to your dorm and study up. It may have been your first day here, and this might be the first week, but the teachers don't care and will give you a test whenever they see fit."

"Wow, so the school year starts and they don't even let the students get over the new year jitters?"

"Basically." Freddie laughed with surprise and started heading out. Melanie smiled and called out to him. "You know where to find me if you ever need anything!"

"Oh wait, that reminds me!" Freddie turned around and Melanie reached into her pocket, already guessing what he might want. She pulled out a slip of paper that had her phone number and email address.

"I wrote this while in the bathroom." Her voice was soft as she pushed the paper into his shirt pocket. He blushed as she closed her eyes and grinned. "I'll see you in class tomorrow, then."

"R-Right, we have science together!"

"That's right, now get going before you get into trouble!" Freddie nodded and quickly rushed out of the dorm. It was pretty damn late anyway, Kevin was probably going to tease the crap out of him for this. But on the plus side, he did manage to get her phone number. He laughed happily and nearly jumped into the air, cheering.

"Yes!" He stopped abruptly and looked around cautiously. "No one saw that!"

* * *

Well hopefully you enjoyed this chapter. It's been due for a while.


	7. Diminish

Boarded

Disclaimer: Don't own iCarly, so don't get any ideas. I'm in the legal stuff too!

A/N: Enjoy. Stupid me uploaded 8 before 7, and this is chapter 7. That is okay, though, it can be looked at the other way around if it has to be...

* * *

Chapter 7 (Diminish)

Sam and Carly were at a loss with iCarly. They were sitting in the studio, amidst all of the small, blank notepad papers. They just couldn't think of any good ideas. It seemed everything had been done, everything else just seemed almost childish. Not only that, but Jonah had decided he didn't want to be the camera guy, that he just didn't feel comfortable working with them. It wasn't anything against them, he just didn't feel comfortable with the fact that Carly was still angry with him and Sam also not forgetting the past. She had forgiven it, but she kept bringing up what had happened.

So when he fell through, Valerie made sure to try and find someone, anyone who would be willing to be iCarly's replacement tech producer. Nobody wanted to do it, many couldn't find the time and others just didn't want to do it, claiming to enjoy watching it rather than doing anything technical. Hell, Jonah and Valerie even talked to the AV club, practically _nobody_ was willing to participate, which shocked the hell out of everybody.

They even asked Jeremy, but he accused them of just wanting anything to do with him for the fact that he was no longer the sickly person he used to be, stating they never really liked him before so he had no reason to help them out. Even Spencer wasn't able to do anything for them, as he had decided to start law school again. He did his artwork in the mornings and went to law school by night, and the girls couldn't do iCarly in the mornings. So now they had no technical producer to speak of.

"What about Gibby?" Carly asked while leaning her head back. Sam chuckled and shook her head, she knew Gibby wouldn't go for that. Hell, he was already starting to grow out of iCarly and spending more time with his family and friends. He actually became insanely cooler in the last year or two, and was going on to try and become a professional boxing coach someday.

"He doesn't do anything with iCarly anymore, remember?" Sam replied while tossing a crumpled notepad page in the nearest trash can. It had been two weeks since Freddie left them, and the last webshow hadn't gone over so well.

"Maybe we don't _need_ a technical producer! We could do it ourselves!" Sam rolled her eyes and shrugged. Jonah had done it last time, but there had been something wrong even then. She felt it coming, and it worried her. The dynamic was gone. Literally, iCarly was the one thing that held Carly's and Sam's friendship together. That, and Freddie, kept Carly in good spirits with Sam. Sam could feel it starting, they were drifting, ever since Freddie left. She didn't believe it, didn't want to believe it, but that was the case.

"Neither of us are all that technical, Carls." She slowly stood up and walked over to the camera. She sighed and whispered softly. "It has to work out." Gibby actually was the first to take notice, and he had told Sam long ago what he really thought of their friendship. He warned her that iCarly might be the one thing that she and Carly had in common, that, and Freddie. He also hoped that the two would be friends forever, but it seemed unlikely, as they had absolutely nothing in common and Carly was always worried about being the best at everything. "We need to start."

"So how are we going to do this? Are we just going to leave it on the table and stand in front of it?" That would have to be the case, there was nothing else they could do with it. It wouldn't be able to circle or move, obviously.

"We've got no choice. Let me try and hook us up to the live feed."

"I got this." Carly smiled and walked over to the laptop and began typing, bringing up iCarly's webpage. Sam folded her arms over and smirked slightly as Carly struggled to figure out the live button.

"Let me do this, I've seen Freddie do it a million times."

"Okay, you do it then…" Carly moved to the center of the room as Sam started up the live feed. She then focused the camera on the center and walked up to Carly, not knowing just how difficult and different this would really be.

Two hours later, Sam was sipping a smoothie at the smoothie shop while T-Bo went around trying to sell yet another obscure item on a stick. She looked up and smiled when she saw a hot, black Jaguar XKR pull to the parking lot. He wasn't late. Soon, the doors opened and a teenager entered the building, wearing a leather jacket and black denim jeans. He looked at her and smiled through his shades. "It's about time you show up, Gibby."

"What can I say? The ladies were practically chasing me around that gym," Gibby said as he walked up to her and took the seat next to her. "I had to lose them."

"What? In that flashy car of yours?" She laughed and punched his shoulder playfully. "You better not be giving into any of their advances, you know."

"Nah, you're the only one for me." He placed his arm around her shoulder and she smiled happily. She actually had been dating him for a while now, nobody really knew. She'd left numerous clues for Carly, but she never really picked up on them. Or perhaps she did and just chose not to say anything. "Well, I saw today's iCarly." Sam frowned and instantly went back to sipping her smoothie.

"Yeah, well what did _you_ think of it?"

"Honestly?" He frowned and she closed her eyes, she knew how it went. She didn't expect him to lie to her, he never did. He always chose to tell her the truth, no matter how harsh it was.

"Do you ever lie to me?" Gibby sighed as T-Bo walked over and asked if Gibby wanted a smoothie, he requested the usual and placed his hands over each other on the table.

"I thought it was a bust. It was horrible."

"You never spare any details, huh?"

"You told me to always be honest with you, and well, you know me." Sam nodded and leaned back, she wanted to hear his thoughts on the matter. She knew why he really stayed away from iCarly, and that was to avoid its trap. It was similar to the trap of Hollywood, the stars might be close, but once it ended, the stars might then drift. Now that Freddie's gone, they would see really what would happen.

"Carly's a true friend, Gibby…" Gibby looked at Sam as she sipped through her straw. He sighed and pocketed his shades in his jacket.

"You don't sound very convinced."

"She is." They both believed it, but their belief in it being a lasting friendship was an entirely different thing. Even before Freddie left, their friendship was starting to diminish. It wasn't either of their faults, they still always talked. Though they started keeping things from the other, they started hanging out with other people.

"You're just growing up, both of you are." T-Bo set Gibby's smoothie down in front of him, then walked off. Gibby took a sip of it and leaned back. "You know I never mean to be a buzz-kill, right?" She nodded as he set his smoothie down. "I think you two really started drifting apart after all those different guys. Whenever a guy came into your lives, you two fought."

"She always got the popularity. She's actually the reason I know how my sister felt." Gibby slowly nodded his head as Sam looked over at T-Bo, who was still attempting to sell the items. Nobody was buying them. "Hey T-Bo, give me a pizza slice!" He looked over and grinned, then hurried over to her. He pulled a slice from the stick and set it down on a plate for her. "Thanks." She took a bite from the pizza and looked at Gibby, who was just staring at her with a smile. "What?"

"That's the one thing you and your sister have in common. That heart."

"Well he wasn't getting any of these things sold? I took pity on him, that's all."

"Yeah, just like you took pity on your sister and gave Freddie's mom the name of that boarding school. You didn't just want to get rid of Freddie, you wanted him to meet up with Melanie." Sam looked down and set her pizza on the plate, she couldn't deny that. Gibby knew her better than that.

"Yeah, I hope things will work out for them. I know it means Carly and I might drift apart…we've been doing that lately anyway." She didn't want to lose Carly's friendship, neither did Carly want to lose it, but both of them were starting to accept the inevitably of it. "Hell, I can't even stay over there at nights anymore, because Spencer doesn't want _anyone_ in the apartment when he's gone. Carly has to be home and the door is locked at six when he leaves."

"You know where Carly's at right now?"

"Hanging with the drama geeks…" Gibby frowned as Sam chuckled vainly. She knew iCarly was in its dying days, she'd known for the longest time. Hell, even Freddie knew, but he'd never say anything. They both noticed the diminishing viewers and the reviews saying that all their stunts were starting to get old, as though recycled and done before. "You know Carly wants to start participating in school plays. I don't want to say what's on my mind…"

"Yet you know it." Sam closed her eyes and a tear started to come to her eyes. Gibby frowned and held her close, kissing Sam's forehead slightly. He hated seeing her like this.

"There were so many great memories. I know I never asked for it, but I never asked for it to end either. I guess it's true…all good things must end one day? Is it really time…to say goodbye to iCarly?"

"Everyone's growing out of it...you did Freddie a favor, didn't you?" Sam placed her arms on the table and brought her head down on them as Gibby slowly rubbed her back. Sam knew what would happen if iCarly ever ended, Carly had even told her one day what _she'd_ do when iCarly ended. "Freddie won't have to deal with iCarly's ending on his own."

"My sister will be there for him, I know her. Carly, as nice as she is, said she probably wouldn't ever have talked to Freddie if not for iCarly. She told me that if iCarly ever ended, it might be the end of her association with him. I don't know if that's true or not, but I know she will probably move on the easiest. All iCarly ever was to us, to her, was something fun to do for the time being. It lost the spark it had a while ago, and Carly told me she wanted to start moving on to better things."

"What will you do when it's over?"

"I don't know. At least I have you." Gibby chuckled and nudged her, a thought had appeared to him.

"Maybe if things work out between them, you'll also still have Freddie around as a friend."

"Do you think anything could happen between him and Melanie?"

"It's always possibility." There was another factor, Carly had started dating Griffin again. She had managed to get over his obsession over those stuffed animals and was constantly hanging with him. If Carly's growing up wasn't the cause for the distance growing between the two girls, then it was Griffin for sure.

"I think the time has come." She wiped a tear from her eyes and slowly closed her hand up. "It's time to pull iCarly."

"Well, I have an idea for you after that. You love Las Vegas so much, maybe we'll go visit it." Sam chuckled and shrugged her shoulders. She hadn't been there in a long time. She smirked playfully at Gibby, matching his teasing smirk.

"Have you been peeking in my drawer, pervert?" She playfully shoved him and he laughed.

"You know, you should seriously consider a belt for some of your pants." Sam blushed and looked away as Gibby wrapped his arms around her. "I'm always going to be here for you, Sam. Always."

"I know, I'm happy for that." She leaned back against his chest and sighed as she closed her eyes. He smiled and rested his chin on her head. "Gibby, have I ever said I'm sorry that I picked on you so much when we were younger?"

"A million times, Sam. A million times..."

"Well, I'm saying it again." He smiled as she leaned up and kissed his chin. She was eternally grateful to have him, and knew that when iCarly's end came, at least she wouldn't have to deal with it on her own.

"You know, you've never told me why you're so into Vegas, anyway."

"Maybe I'll tell you that one day." She had family everywhere, including a cousin that was always a close favorite of hers. No, not just a close favorite, she was _the_ cousin. Last she heard, Shane was dating her. "You remember Shane, right?"

"Yeah, what about him?"

"Turns out he's living in Vegas now. I lived there myself, once."

"Oh?" Gibby smirked as Sam nodded her head and started sipping her shake.

"Yeah, mom sent me to live with my aunt while she and Melanie went on the run." Gibby raised a curious eyebrow as Sam stared at the nearby wall with a small frown. That was when Pam had finally gotten away from that abusive husband of hers. "Dad was an abuser, and threatened both me and my sister. She sent me to live with my Aunt Janet for a really long time while she and Melanie did everything they could to get away from him."

"What happened?"

"Aunt Janet had to give me a new name as per my mom's request, and then I think dad died somehow. After that, I moved back with my mom." Gibby could tell she was omitting something, but he wouldn't press her to say any more than she wanted to. "I guess I'd love to see my aunt again."

"Would be nice, wouldn't it?"

"I never got a chance, iCarly's always taken up my time." Gibby nodded as Sam's brow furrowed. She had much to owe this aunt of hers. If it wasn't for her, she might not have been alive today. After all, she was the twin that her dad would threaten most of all. Gibby smiled and tightened his hug.

"I did say I'd take you to Vegas."

"Yeah, but I don't know that I want to end iCarly. I love it so much."

"Do you have a reason to hang onto it?" Sam frowned and slowly shook her head. There really was no reason to hang onto it. She had to admit, iCarly was definitely _not_ going to survive much longer.

"I'll have to have a talk to Carly."

"What do you think she'll think?"

"I know what she'll think…" Carly wouldn't mind, she'd tossed the idea of its demise around anyway. Sure, she would miss it, but not greatly. She knew it was the only reason she really visited Carly anymore, their conversations were always only about the webshow now. "Saying goodbye hurts...a lot. I've said it so many times, I can't stand it."

"I know."

* * *

So, it looks like iCarly's stars are growing out of the show and moving on to other things. Normally I have Carly and Sam remaining friends, but you see I am doing something here. Friends do grow apart sometimes...Gibby and Sam are together of course, couldn't think of anyone. Well hope you enjoyed the chapter, next will be called 'tryouts'


	8. Tryouts!

Boarded

Disclaimer: Don't own iCarly, so don't get any ideas. I'm in the legal stuff too!

A/N: Enjoy. This was accidently uploaded before chapter 7, so it's now chapter 7, but that's okay, they can still be changed safely. I'll have to leave them in the order they're in now because people have already reviewed. Okay so this is back to it's position as chapter 8 and Chapter 7 is now in it's rightful place. For those who have already reviewed, you'll have to review chapter 8 for chapter 7. Sorry for the mix up!

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Chapter 8 (Tryouts)

Melanie walked with Freddie and Kevin to the baseball tryouts. She and Freddie had become friends, but neither had really told the other of the fact that they liked each other. In fact, Alison and Kendal were still a bit indifferent about him. She was at least helping him to get over his homesickness, slowly, but surely. "So Freddie, you going to make me proud today?" Kevin asked with a smirk. Freddie shrugged and cracked his neck to the side.

"Well, I fully intend on making the team."

"I like your confidence. Good luck." He knew he would be able to watch from the stands, since he couldn't really go out on the field. The teacher was odd in his ways of doing things. He and Melanie watched as Freddie ran onto the field where the coach and a few other students were waiting.

"How do you think he's going to do?" Melanie asked curiously. She never really saw Freddie play ball, so she didn't know if he was any good at it. Kevin grinned and sat on a small bench.

"I think he's going to be just fine. I gave him a few tips and pointers, but even without those, he's still a good player. If anything, he could be one of our better batters." They watched as Freddie spoke with the coach. Eventually he was instructed to go to home base. Kevin was stunned when the coach put the team's best pitcher on the team. "Oh crap!"

"What?"

"That's Jerry, he's our best pitcher!" Melanie frowned and stared as the pitcher walked up to the mound. Freddie would have twenty balls thrown at him, he would have to hit at least fifteen of them. That would sum up how well he was with the batting. After that, he would have to show them how good of a runner he was and run the bases without getting an out. He needed to make it to home base with four out of seven runs.

"He'll do it, I believe in him." Kevin smiled as Freddie stared at the pitcher. The coach patted the man's back and walked behind Freddie, he would be the catcher.

"Alright Elliot, see if you can get him out!" Shouted the coach. Jerry nodded and spat on the ground.

"Let's see if you're worthy to be on the team," Jerry said with a slight sneer. He was a bit arrogant, he didn't like many of the players on the team. He didn't have a right to be so arrogant, since he wasn't around as long as some of the members, having gone to the school for almost two years at most. He crashed his ball into his mitt and slowly licked his lips, then spoke in a slow, mocking voice. "Here batter, batter, _batter_."

"Just throw the damn ball," Freddie whispered under his breath. He knew he couldn't get tired of swinging, since he had a limit to the number of balls he could miss and the more balls they threw, the more tired the batter could become. He could easily tell their strategy. Freddie narrowed his eyes as Jerry reared the first ball. He threw the ball and it came at him swiftly, Freddie quickly brought the bat down and sliced it directly at Jerry. Jerry's eyes widened and the ball flew right past the side of his head. Kevin laughed and Melanie's eyebrows rose in shock. That would surely teach Jerry to mess with Freddie.

"You got guts kid," the coach said with a smirk. If that was Freddie's way of standing up to Jerry, nobody had ever done that before. Jerry growled and threw another ball, faster than the prior. Freddie quickly hit that one away as well.

"Come on pitcher, throw me one that's too fast for me to see!" Jerry narrowed his eyes and grabbed another ball from the container next to him.

"I could do this all day long," Jerry said as he reared the next ball. He shouted and threw it hard at Freddie, it was a curveball. Kevin grinned and crossed his arms, he had taught Freddie about the curveball. Fortunately he had taught Freddie Jerry's lineup. He often started with the fastball, then started working his way up to the most dreaded baseball pitch, the infamous knuckleball. So many have attempted it, but few had mastered it. Jerry was one of those. On campus, it earned him the nickname 'The Knuckler."

"I'm not striking out!" Freddie shouted this as he hit the ball, which angered Jerry some more. He didn't know why, he just didn't like Freddie. Then again, he didn't like anybody. Not many people liked him, because of his demeanor, but most praised him. Melanie was the few that didn't like him _nor_ did she ever praise him.

"I'm not letting you on this team, Benson." As the game went on, there were balls that Freddie had missed. He was on his final hit, the twentieth ball. This would be the one that would make him or break him. He couldn't miss another ball, or else he wouldn't cut it. The tension was intense, everybody was holding their breath. Kevin looked at Jerry and his eyes widened at what he saw.

"No," Kevin whispered. Melanie was grasping Kevin's wrist tightly with her hand, she was really rooting for Freddie. She looked at Kevin worriedly and he swallowed hard. "Look at how Jerry's holding that ball." Jerry had the ball in his hand and was holding it with the tips of his pointer and middle fingers, his thumb was on the ball for balance. He was going for his most infamous shot. "The knuckleball."

"Oh my god," Melanie said as her eyes widened. Freddie was warming up by swinging the bat in front of him. She prayed he'd be able to hit this, as it was the most difficult to hit, more difficult than that of the splitter. He had never hit the knuckleball before, Kevin had never mastered that pitch. Not many on the team had ever mastered it.

"You're going down Benson," Jerry said with a smirk. He slowly licked his lips and showed how he was holding his ball. Freddie narrowed his eyes and gripped his bat tightly. "This is the knuckleball, the hardest ball to hit and the most difficult to master! It took me a long time to learn how to throw it. Nobody's _ever_ hit this ball when I've thrown it." Now he was just trying to discourage, as there had been people to hit the ball, although it was true that not many had done so.

"We'll see if that's the case, Jerry. There's always room for a first." He smirked as Jerry rolled his eyes. Freddie swallowed hard and gripped the handle of the bat so tightly his knuckles were turning red. He didn't want anyone to see him sweat. He was actually very nervous, as he had studied up a bit on the knuckleball, and it scared the crap out of him.

"Freddie!" Melanie shouted as she jumped up and down. Freddie looked over at her and smiled when he saw her waving. "You can do it! We believe in you, _I_ believe in you!" Kevin laughed and stood up, encouraging Freddie by giving a positive gesture.

"You can do it man, just remember everything I told you about the game!"

"Thanks Kev!" Freddie smiled at Melanie and nodded at her. "Mel…this one's for you." She blushed as he turned his gaze onto Jerry, who was glaring him down vehemently. "Throw the ball Jerry, I'm ready for you."

"You're going to regret that," Jerry said with a smirk. The coach usually forbade him from using the knuckleball at tryouts, but he had seen Freddie and Kevin practicing so often that he believed Freddie could actually hit it. It wasn't often that Jerry was even chosen to pitch at the tryouts.

"Whatever, just throw the damn ball!"

"Gladly." Everybody drew in their breaths as Jerry started the pitch. Melanie and Kevin kept their eyes locked on Freddie and the bat while he kept his eyes locked on the ball. He wasn't shaking, he wasn't nervous, he wasn't doing anything other than thinking about Melanie. He wanted to impress her. Jerry threw the ball and in an act that seemed to slow time itself for everyone, he brought the bat down.

A loud crack was heard and Jerry shouted in vain, the bat had made contact with the ball. Everyone was silent as the ball flew over Jerry's head and out of the court, Freddie had just hit a home-run. "Yeah!" Melanie cheered joyously as Freddie decided to run around the bases, smirking with pride. "Go Freddie, _yes!_" Kevin put his index finger and thumb in his mouth and whistled as the coach crossed his arms and smiled. Jerry cussed and threw his cap to the ground, stomping on it. "Freddie! Freddie! Freddie!" Melanie had begun chanting, so Kevin couldn't help but to join in. All of the other players began chanting as well, nobody on the team had ever hit Jerry's knuckleball.

Freddie was running pretty fast as well, the coach could see that easily. He looked around as onlookers and the players all chanted Freddie's name. He definitely knew a good player when he saw one. Kevin had coached him well. If these two played well enough, they could easily get college scholarships. Freddie laughed as he skidded onto home base. The coach patted his back and chuckled. "Why don't you give it a few more runs, son? You've earned it."

"Gladly coach!" Jerry's jaw fell as Freddie began to run around the court again, now he was just being mocked. He growled in defeat and stormed over to the benches where all the players were.

"Freddie 'Big Bang' Benson," Kevin said with a smirk. "That'll be his nickname." Melanie giggled and cheered again. Freddie was immensely proud of himself. "You know Melanie, you don't need to make it so obvious…"

"Make what obvious?" Melanie asked as she glanced over at him. He smiled and shook his head, he wasn't talking. She shrugged and clapped once more as Freddie finished his run. It wasn't long until Freddie was walking towards them, smiling as he had made the team. "Freddie!" Melanie laughed happily and ran to him, nearly tackling him as she hugged his neck. "I'm so happy for you."

"Thanks Mel," Freddie said with a smile. His cheeks were slightly red, he hadn't felt her this close to him before in a long time, and he liked it. He looked over to Kevin and grinned.

"Yeah, I knew you could do it," Kevin said as he walked by Freddie and patted his shoulder. "Never doubted you for a minute."

"Oh you were awesome!" Melanie said with excitement as she let go of him and took a step back. Kevin looked at the two and chuckled as he started walking off, he figured they would want some time to themselves.

"I'll leave you kids alone." Freddie narrowed his eyes at Kevin as his friend walked off, smirking at him. He sighed and looked back at Melanie. He was wondering if he'd get a victory kiss, because he sure felt like he earned one.

"I don't know what Jerry's got stuck up his ass, but damn he was an asshole," Freddie commented as he and Melanie started walking off together. Melanie shrugged and looked up into the sky.

"Jerry has always been angry at the world. I think it was because his grandmother was killed a long time ago and he never got over it."

"Ugh, I know the feeling. My friend Jonah, he's always been a bit angry at people since his mother died." Melanie frowned and closed her eyes, it was a horrible feeling when a parent died.

"You know…Sam and I lost our dad when we were nine."

"Sam never told me that…"

"I can imagine why." Freddie frowned as they stopped in the center of the campus. It was a grassy field with four sidewalk paths leading from the edges and meeting in the center where a large, round fountain sprout water into the air. It was always a peaceful place to sit and study or just hang out. "He was abusive, mostly to mom and Sam."

"Oh my god. What happened?"

"Well…long story short, we both didn't see our mom for a couple years." Freddie was confused, had the girls been taken away? Melanie sat on the edge of the fountain and leaned back, letting some of the water flow on her fingertips. "Sam and I lied, I wasn't in boarding schools since iCarly began…"

"No?"

"On our seventh birthday, our dad finally snapped." This was a painful memory for her, but it was so long ago that it just didn't affect her so much anymore. Normally she didn't like to talk about it, because it was so traumatic. Her dad had always told her she was nothing, both she and Sam. He also always told them they didn't exist to him. "We were nothing, we didn't exist, we would never amount to anything at all…these were the things he said to us."

"Oh god…" Freddie's eyes widened briefly as he sat next to her. He couldn't believe anyone would be so cruel to their children. "He ever hit you?"

"Yeah, all the time, both of us and mom too. Sam took it the hardest though, but I think that's cause mom got me out early…sort of."

"What do you mean?"

"I was in the process of being sent to a boarding school, she applied. She sent me far away so dad couldn't ever find me. I hadn't been accepted yet, but since I would be gone soon, dad left me alone sometimes." Freddie nodded in understanding and slowly placed his hand over hers, comforting her. She smiled softly and looked into his eyes, he had nothing but care in them. "Mom sent Sam to live with her aunt, who dad also didn't know where to find her. She then endured him for the next two years."

"What happened to him?"

"He was murdered, ironically enough." She chuckled sadly and slowly shook her head. "It was his best friend, he had beaten him the night before to teach him a lesson…but dad still hit mom. So he invited dad over to the city pool for a swim, slipped a drug into his drink and alerted everyone in the pool as to the type of man he was."

"So what did that do?"

"They blocked his exits when the drug started to disorient him. He was so disoriented that he didn't see someone strike him from behind…he ended up drowning."

"Wow…" Freddie was stunned that something so serious was pulled out. He wondered if anyone had been arrested for the man's death, but wouldn't be surprised if they got off scot-free. "Did anybody ever…you know…"

"There were no trials, no convictions. When he died, mom was able to get Sam home. I on the other hand stayed in boarding schools, since I was doing well enough as well. There really was no reason to take me out."

"Well I'm glad you're okay from it all." Melanie smiled slightly and closed her eyes, resting her head on his shoulder. She was getting pretty tired as it was. "Time heals all wounds, right?"

"Yeah, sure, I guess." She didn't want to admit that his being there, holding her hand the way he was, made her feel so much better than she usually did. The feeling was so warm, so perfect, and so right. She rubbed her head on his shoulder and moved her body a little closer to him, not knowing entirely what she was doing. He smiled for a minute and moved his other arm around her back. She didn't tense or move away when he did the gesture.

"Are you happy with the way your life's been going?" She didn't know how to answer his question. Was she happy now? Yes, she was very happy. Was she happy before? Maybe, but she'd always had her father on her mind.

"Freddie, I'm happy you made the baseball team. It serves that Jerry right for trying to strike you off."

"Yeah, I'm really happy with the way it turned out. I wasn't scared at all"

"I refuse to believe that." She smiled and rubbed his hand with her finger. She needed to remember to thank Sam in some ways, she didn't know Freddie was so easy to cuddle up with. This was a feeling she never wanted to end, although it probably would. "Let's just sit here for a little bit. Okay?"

"Sure, if that's what you want." She wanted to kiss him, that's what she wanted. Although, she felt it would be poorly timed and perhaps not something that he would want at the moment. Hell, last time she kissed him, he ran away in fear of her.

"That does so much to a girl…"

"Huh? What was that?" She shook her head as Freddie raised an eyebrow in concern.

"Don't worry about it." Freddie sighed and looked up into the sky. This was a perfect moment, he felt something inside him telling him to kiss her, but he held back from that urge. He couldn't help but to wonder how Carly and Sam were doing, if they knew that he was with Melanie right now and what he was going through. If Sam knew, would she break his arm? He chuckled inwardly and closed his eyes. Punishment for wanting to date her sister, she probably would.

* * *

Okay there you have it. Actually no, I'm going to have to switch them back around...


	9. Talking to the Friends

Boarded

Disclaimer: Don't own iCarly, so don't get any ideas. I'm in the legal stuff too!

A/N: Enjoy.

* * *

Chapter 9 (Talking to the Friends)

Freddie walked through the campus cafeteria the next morning and saw Alison and Kendal sitting at their usual table. Melanie wasn't anywhere to be found, she probably was studying somewhere else. In all the time that he'd been there, neither of Melanie's friends actually talked much to him. He wanted to know why. He walked over to the table and the girls looked up at him with frowns on their faces. They let him sit down, not really caring if he was there or not.

"What do you want, Benson?" Alison asked as she stabbed her meat with her fork. Freddie watched her cut the food with her knife in quick, deep slices. He closed his eyes and sighed as he looked over to Kendal, who was also tearing her food apart and biting into it sharply.

"I just want to know why…" He thought better of that, since he was pretty sure he knew why they didn't like him. But things were different now, he saw Melanie now for who she really was. "No, I know why you don't like me, so what can I do to change that?"

"You know why we don't like you? Really?"

"We did a little background check on you," Kendal said quietly as she took another bite of her food. Freddie raised an eyebrow as she drank of her soda. "There are a few things we're a bit concerned about."

"Tell me whatever it is! I will answer!" He wasn't shocked that they would want to look him up, considering how close they were to Melanie. They probably wanted to make sure there was nothing about him that would be potentially harmful to her. Alison and Kendal exchanged glances and then looked at him.

"Okay so first things first," Alison said while placing her hands on her legs. "We know about Carly, now we want you to tell us about her." She smirked and Freddie winced inwardly. He should have seen that one coming. Of course they would wonder about that, they had every right to. "We know that you've had a crush on her for the longest time, practically freaked a few people out with it when you were younger."

"Yeah I was a bit stupid years ago." He spoke vainly as he started eating his food. He hadn't liked Carly for a very long time actually, not as more than friends. The last time he entertained the thought of them together was when he dated her.

"You were like a love-struck puppy, it was cute!" Kendal squealed while smiling briskly. Freddie gagged and quickly shook his head. At that, both girls smirked, it seemed maybe he really was over Carly then. "Okay, so you dated her, did you not?"

"One time, and it was only because I basically saved her from getting hit by a car." He scooped up some mashed potatoes on his plate and swallowed them. They were very creamy. "Damn, I still can't get over how much better this food is than it was at my old school." The girls laughed and nodded, agreeing with him on that fact. This school always seemed to have better food than public schools.

"I've not seen a public school with better food than this," Alison remarked. Freddie nodded and took another bite before moving back onto the subject of Carly.

"I moved on from her after that, realizing that there was nothing between us that could work. So, as far as she goes, there isn't anything to worry about."

"Okay, we do believe you on that. Now, what about Sam?" Freddie raised his eyebrow as Kendal looked at him very seriously. How would they know about the whole kiss thing between the two of them? He blinked and started to realize, Melanie could have told them about that because Sam might have mentioned it. "You shared a kiss with her, I remember Melanie saying that Sam told her about it."

"One, I'm surprised Sam talked about it to anyone, and two…it was just getting over the whole 'first kiss' crap. Nothing more than that happened, I don't have any interest in her. She is a bit more violent than the type of women I actually like." Alison and Kendal glanced at each other and shrugged, they weren't sure what to make of the response. He wasn't lying, they could tell that much.

"Okay, well if you want to know how we know about that, we'll tell you," Kendal said abruptly. Alison rolled her eyes and frowned, she hadn't really wanted to bring it up. "Melanie told us about you, obviously. She said she kissed you and you…_ran off_." Freddie swallowed and looked down in guilt. He never could get over how stupid that was. "Anyway, it was what you said before then that told her you must have shared something with Sam. Naturally, she asked her and so her sister told her. She then brought it up with us."

"I see…"

"We just want to make sure you're not going to hurt her," Alison said as she sipped her drink. She had actually seen the two at the fountain, cuddling closely together. When she told Kendal, the girl thought it was so cute that she didn't stop squealing for five minutes. She was sure her ears had started bleeding somewhere in that timeline. Freddie frowned and stared down at his food. He didn't know what would happen with Melanie. He knew she was like an angel, because she was so sweet. He wanted to be with her, and that was saying something.

"I can't promise that I won't do stupid things that might hurt her, but I can promise you this much. I will never intentionally do anything to hurt her." When he said those last words, he had looked directly into Alison's eyes. He wanted her to know he was telling the truth. "I met Melanie after a dirty prank by Sam and so I stupidly remained ignorant to anything, thinking Sam was lying to me about having a sister. I didn't mean to hurt Melanie then-"

"Well you did!" Freddie winced and slowly closed his eyes. What could he say to them, really? He didn't want them to hate him, he didn't know if they would ever really trust him or not, but he would do anything to show Melanie that he wouldn't do anything to hurt her. Not this time around, if she would let him have that chance.

"I know. Words alone can't express how sorry I am for that." What made it more painful for him was knowing that he wasn't the first person to basically say she didn't exist. The first had been her father, and god knows how impacting that could be on a child. "I know better now, you have to believe me." Alison pressed her lips together and Kendal continued to eat her food in silence. It wasn't that they didn't believe him, they weren't skeptical at all, they were just very concerned. Alison breathed in slowly and started to crack her neck.

"So you like her, seriously? You're not into her just out of guilt?"

"What kind of question is that?"

"A serious one. I saw you two on the fountain." Freddie smiled at the memory of that, he loved holding Melanie close. He closed his eyes and entertained the memory for a few seconds before opening his eyes to look at Alison. She easily read the look in his eyes and gave him the tiniest smile.

"Yes, I'll be honest with you, I do like her. I like her a lot. I want to learn more about her and, maybe…maybe we could have a relationship as something more." Kendal grinned and Alison groaned, she knew the girl was probably about to make some loud shrieking noise. She could almost swear Kendal was out to get her.

"Don't even think about it Kendal!" The girl frowned and shifted in her seat, she didn't like being shut up. She was just getting into the excitement, that was all. She was really happy for Melanie, and for Freddie too. He chuckled nervously as the girls began to argue for a second and then turned their attention on him.

"So when are you going to ask her out?" Kendal asked swiftly, not missing a beat. Alison sighed and rubbed her forehead with annoyance. How could Kendal be so damn aggravating? Freddie was a bit taken aback by the question. He didn't want to rush things, he really didn't, and wasn't even sure if she really liked him in the same manner.

"To be honest, after what happened before, I don't know that she would really want that…" Alison narrowed her eyes and smiled at Freddie, giving him a look that basically scared the crap out of him.

"What are you stupid?" Alison asked in a flat tone. Kendal lifted her eyebrows and looked to the side, she was pretty sure as well that Freddie was acting pretty stupid. He looked at them with offense and lifted his hands up in a shrug.

"What?"

"Where were you yester…ah hell!" Alison reached forward and grabbed Freddie by the collar, pulling him forward. He yelped and stared fearfully into her eyes. "Look here, you have _never_ left that girl's mind, when she got back here she was so different. You're here now, she's happier, so do the math, dumbass!" Kendal looked around the cafeteria and saw some people watching them. She smiled and waved at the onlookers, who then turned back around and went to their food, deciding to ignore the group. "I will warn you though, if you think her sister was bad for assault, you haven't seen anything yet. I don't care how long it takes you to make her happy, but mark my words, if you _do_ ever hurt her, I'm going to find you and I _will_ beat the crap out of you."

"She's not lying either," Kendal added carefully. "She can be a very angry person when she wants to be." Alison shot her a look and then let Freddie go. He quickly sat in his chair, his eyes wide with fear as he dusted some food bits off of his shirt.

"Guys, what's going on?" A voice asked nearby. They looked over to see Melanie walking towards them, suspicion clearly evident in her eyes. She had made it just in time to see Alison scaring the crap out of Freddie. "Hey Freddie…" He smiled at her as she sat next to him and looked over at her two friends. "Okay, so what am I missing?" Alison closed her eyes and took a bite of her food.

"We were just having a chat with Benson here," She replied nonchalantly. Melanie glanced at Freddie with concern and he looked back at her nervously. He really wanted to go now.

"Well as long as you two aren't killing him or something. Anyway, Freddie, I have tennis practice today, so come find me after school. Maybe we can hang out or something."

"That sounds good," he replied. He looked at his food tray and found no more food. It was about time to start heading back to class anyway, so he started to stand up. "I'm going to start getting to class, so I'll talk to you later."

"Okay, bye Freddie." She smiled and watched as he threw his tray away and started to leave the cafeteria. She was embarrassed with her friends, but she wouldn't chide them for their actions, she knew they were probably just looking out for her. "So are you two going to leave him alone now?" The girls glanced at each other nervously and smiled at their friend. They had no reason to worry about Freddie, but it would still be a little bit of time before they actually liked him. It wasn't him, it was just they weren't always quick to trust the people that came into their lives.

"Yeah, we'll leave him be," Alison responded.

"Good."

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That's chapter 9, I hope you enjoyed it. Remember to check out chapter 7, for those who haven't yet. If you remember the little mix-up that took place.


	10. Farewell iCarly

Boarded

Disclaimer: Don't own iCarly, so don't get any ideas. I'm in the legal stuff too!

A/N: Enjoy.

* * *

Chapter 10 (Farwell iCarly)

Freddie walked up to the tennis courts later in the day and found the practice was almost over. Melanie was done with her match. He didn't want to miss her match, so he felt bad about that. He actually had brought her a white rose. Typically a single white rose meant 'I'm sorry' and there was much he was sorry for. It also symbolized purity, innocence, which could also mean he thought she was pure.

It wasn't long before Melanie left the tennis courts, carrying a bag containing her racket and other materials. She saw Freddie and smiled as she ran over to him. He handed her the rose and she blushed. "Sorry for missing your practice, I got caught up with some schoolwork."

"It's okay Freddie, and thank you for the rose. It's beautiful." She took the rose and sniffed it. He wanted to tell her that he thought she was incredibly beautiful, more so than the rose. A million roses couldn't match her beauty. "How did you know roses were my favorite flower?" He chuckled nervously and pushed his hands into his pocket. He hadn't known, but he did now.

"Um, Kendal told me?" Melanie laughed and hugged him. She pressed her lips together and licked her bottom lip as she took a step back. God she wanted him, but she was too afraid to ask him how he felt. Although, that rose did give Freddie some ideas. "So, you think Sam and the others know that you and I met up?"

"Probably…like I said, I wouldn't put it past Sam having slipped the name of this place. It's a bit too coincidental that you wound up in the same school as I did." Freddie shrugged and the two began walking towards her housing unit. "Anyway, we need to hurry up and get on the iCarly website, something's going on." He looked confused and she held out her cell. He had his turned off, so he didn't receive any alerts. "I just got an alert, they're fixing to shoot a live video."

"Why? They just did this week already…" He did have to admit, iCarly was going to hell now. The last video was so horrible. The ideas were bad and evidently Sam and Carly were unable to find a cameraman. "Let's see what's going on." Michelle nodded and the two walked on in silence. Freddie smiled every time Melanie looked at her rose and smelled it.

"Oh it's perfect." Not as perfect as she was in his eyes. He had plenty of time to get to know her in the last couple of weeks, and he really enjoyed everything about her. She definitely was the opposite of Sam, but she wasn't quite as goody and perfect as Carly. She was right in between, and that was what he liked the most. Hell, they had actually pulled a prank on Kevin a few days ago, by putting a cold tray of whipped cream on his bed and pulling the blanket over it. When he went to bed that night, he didn't take notice of it and laid in it, and boy was he upset with Freddie for a while after that. It had been Melanie's idea.

When they reached her dorm, they set up the computer and made it to the show's website. Freddie hoped nothing serious happened. The site already had several hits on it, so viewers were already there. Soon, the live feed came on and Sam was standing in front of the camera with Carly by her side. They had very somber expressions on their faces, it was cause for concern among everyone.

"Hi iCarly frequenters," Carly said for their final opening. "I'm Carly Shay."

"I'm Sam Puckett, and this will be…our final webcast." Sam pressed the button on the blue remote and the sound of sorrow came from it. Freddie and Melanie gasped and looked at each other in surprise.

"They're _ending_ iCarly?" Freddie asked in shock. How could they possibly end it, they never told him about this. Ignoring the fact that they were in a live broadcast, Freddie turned his phone on and dialed Sam's number. She pulled out her phone and frowned, answering the call. "You're ending iCarly?"

"Yes, we are. It's lost its power, and you're on the site…look at how many viewers we get now." Freddie frowned and looked at the viewership, it was less than a third of their lowest average viewership ever. "You've known it yourself that this time was coming."

"I know, but…" He didn't want this to happen, not so soon. Maybe if he hadn't given up on it long ago, maybe it would have been different.

"We don't even have a cameraman anymore. Hell, even Gibby doesn't get involved, claiming he's 'grown out' of iCarly. And to tell you the truth…Carly and I are too." It pained both the girls to admit that, but it was the truth. They knew they would be okay after iCarly. Carly's face softened and she looked at the camera.

"It'll be okay Freddie, you'll see that this is for the best," Carly said quietly. "It's as Sam said. We all knew this day was coming, we just didn't know when or what would happen when the time came."

"W-Well what about us?" He knew he wasn't the only one to see the girls drifting apart. Hell, even he was drifting from them, to a point. Carly wiped her eyes and Sam struggled to keep hers from watering.

"We'll all be okay, I know that. Carly's got people now, and you know she's been dating Griffin too, right? Above all else, she has him. And I'll be okay also, trust me." Sam smiled kindly and Melanie slowly nodded her head, she was the only one who knew what Sam was talking about. She knew about Sam and Gibby. Above all else, she and Sam shared the greatest bond with each other, nobody was as close to anyone else as they were with one another. They shared _all_ their secrets.

"Then what about me? I know Carly isn't going to hang around me anymore. After all, iCarly was the only thing that I had with you two…" Sam frowned and looked at Carly.

"Well, what did he say?" Carly asked curiously, as the phone wasn't on speaker. Sam slowly shook her head and sighed, smiling softly.

"You…You have Melanie." Melanie blushed and looked over to Freddie, whose face was slightly red as well. Sam knew Freddie wouldn't be alone with Melanie there.

"Y-You knew about that, huh? You know last time we talked…"

"Mel already told me about your interactions." Freddie closed his eyes and chuckled as Sam smirked deviously. "Is Melanie there, by the way?"

"Um…yes…" Sam slowly nodded and looked at the computer, furrowing her brow.

"Melanie, please leave the room or go out of earshot. I have something to say to the dork." Melanie sighed and rolled her eyes, then walked out of her dorm room. Freddie raised her eyebrow and looked at the screen, seeing Sam's rough expression. There was yet another difference, more physical, Sam was very tan while Melanie only had a light tan. "Did she leave?"

"Yeah, what did you want to talk about?"

"So what do you think of my sister, cause you haven't told me a thing yet." Freddie chuckled nervously and Carly grinned maniacally.

"I got an idea!" Carly said as she ran over to the computer. Freddie lifted his eyebrows and watched as the usual screen they had started rolling down. The webcam light went on and he was now on the screen. "You can turn off your phone now, Freddie."

"Why do I feel like I'm about to be under fire?" Sam looked closely at the area around Freddie, he was in Melanie's dorm.

"Hey! You're in my sister's room!" Sam exclaimed while pointing at the screen. The next thing she saw was on the desk in front of Freddie. It was a white rose. Her eyes went wide and she tilted her head. "What's with the rose, Benson?"

"Uh? Rose? What rose!" Freddie looked down and laughed nervously, picking up the white rose? "This? It's uh…its paper!" He quickly placed it on Melanie's bed behind him while Sam crossed her arms suspiciously. Carly shook her head and smirked, raising her eyebrows and staring at Freddie. Did he think they were stupid?

"Freddie, we're girls," Carly started while tapping her foot on the ground. "We _know_ a real rose when we see one." She nudged Sam and grinned. "Hey Sam, how come _I_ never got a rose from him? Did you?"

"No Carly_, never_, he never gave me a rose! Yet, here he has apparently given my _sister_ one."

"Well it's not red, it's white. So does that mean anything?"

"I don't know…do you think it does?" She walked over and moved the camera to where it would be pointing at their faces, not their backs. She wanted Freddie to be able to see her face. She closed her eyes and smirked slightly. "Benson, do you like Melanie?"

"Uh…" He looked behind himself and swallowed, he didn't know how to answer the question at hand. Sam watched his movement and reaction closely, he liked the girl. "What happens if I answer, and how should I answer?"

"Look here Benson, I don't care what _anyone_ tells you, I am the scariest mama you're ever going to meet." She was referring to the conversation Freddie had with Alison, as Melanie had told her about it. Freddie slowly nodded his head as Sam took a dangerous step forward. "My sister is the sweetest, most innocent girl you're ever going to meet. Do you understand me? You don't _know_ the loads of shit we've been through together, nobody does. So I'm going to tell you right now, don't you _dare_ hurt her. Do you understand me? Don't you DARE hurt her in _any_ way whatsoever! If you do, if I ever see her crying because of you again, I do know where you are, and I will find you…and crush _every…single…bone _in your body." Carly closed her eyes and winced visibly while Freddie began to shake with terror. He knew Sam was serious, she never went back on her word. "Now answer my question Freddie, do you honestly like her."

"Yes, I do."

"Would you ever lead her on?"

"No, never, I am not that person." Sam smiled and nodded her head, she was happy to hear that.

"Have you told her yet?"

"…Not yet…" She frowned and shook her head, that was a poor answer. Freddie quickly had something to add, knowing it would look better if he did. "I do have an idea though!"

"Talk to me."

"Well maybe the whole admirer thing." Sam frowned, but Freddie quickly protested her frown. "I know it's cliché, but I'm thinking something different. You know how every rose means something different, right? A single white rose can mean 'I'm sorry' and it's true that I am sorry…for my stupidity…" Sam slowly nodded and rubbed her chin. She knew how her sister was, if she got roses, she'd keep every one of them preserved one way or another. She chuckled and imagined her sister calling her up all the time and telling her about the roses she was receiving. "Well maybe work my way up with the rose colors and in that way, tell her how I feel about her."

"Okay, but you _better not _toy with her heart. Do you understand that, Benson? Do you hear me?"

"Loud and clear, Puckett." Sam smirked and crossed her arms, she was satisfied with that answer. The door opened and Melanie peered in, she was wondering if she could come in now.

"Are you guys done with whatever you were talking about?" Melanie asked cautiously. Sam nodded and Freddie smiled at her, motioning with his hand for her to come in. She entered the room and waved. "Hey Sam, did Freddie tell you that he made the tryouts for the baseball team?"

"What? Really, he did? That's awesome, congrats, Freddie." Freddie grinned proudly and leaned back, folding his arms across his chest.

"Thanks, I beat their best pitcher! Jerry 'The Knuckler' Elliot…"

"Oh?" Sam tilted her head, the name sounded familiar, but she couldn't put a ring on it. She shrugged and smiled at the screen. "Well I'm glad. I believe Melanie told me you had a friend on the baseball team, right?"

"Yeah, Kevin, he's my roommate. He's cool, a little bit like Jonah in some ways." Sam laughed and Carly lifted her eyes upwards.

"Well don't tell Jonah that, he may get jealous. Now you just remember what I said, okay Freddie?"

"Yeah, I wouldn't forget that." Melanie raised her eyebrow as Sam pressed a button to make the screen roll up. Freddie's webcam shut off and the two girls went on to do a few last sketches and farewell speeches. They'd never forget how it all started with Ms. Briggs's head on the body of a hippo. Freddie and Melanie watched with somber eyes as iCarly's farewell neared its final minutes.

"Well that's all we have guys," Carly said with a smile. Sam nodded as Carly sat down on a chair. "We're going down for good, maybe someday you'll hear from us again, but for now, this is the end."

"Goodbye fans," Sam said as she pressed the 'boo' button. "I'm going to miss a few of these things." Sam looked up and frowned as Griffin entered the room. He walked by and stepped behind Carly, placing his hands on her waist and kissing her neck. She giggled and quickly kissed his lips.

"Come on Carly, let's bust this joint," Griffin stated with a smile. Sam stared sadly at the two and bowed her head as Carly walked away with Griffin, forgetting to say anything. She looked at the camera for a few minutes and walked over to the window, staring down at the street she saw Carly and Griffin get on a motorcycle. A tear traveled down her cheek while everyone watched.

"Goodbye Carly. I'll be waiting for your call." Freddie and Melanie frowned, but were surprised when they saw someone walking up to Sam. He had his leather jacket and denim jeans. Freddie's jaw dropped as he embraced Sam from behind. Melanie smiled. Both knew who it was. Sam lifted her hand up and cupped Gibby's cheek.

"We should probably go too Sam, Spencer's fixing to leave," Gibby said quietly. Sam slowly nodded her head as Gibby turned to the camera. Sam didn't want to be the one to turn it off.

"Would you do the honors, Gibby?"

"If that is what you wish." She slowly nodded and Gibby stepped in front of the camera, holding his remote. "Farewell iCarly. You will be missed by fans and the crew…Goodbye." With a sorrowful expression, knowing that neither Carly or Sam would probably ever look back on this part of their lives, he clicked off the camera. It was final, iCarly was over.

* * *

Well I hope you enjoyed this chapter. Seems a sad one, but all great things must come to an end. Stick around for the next _surprising_ chapter. Another shocking twist is coming your way, and it involves one of the other characters.


	11. Fading

Boarded

Disclaimer: Don't own iCarly, so don't get any ideas. I'm in the legal stuff too!

A/N: Enjoy.

* * *

Chapter 11 (Fading)

Valerie and Jonah walked home from one of their dates, they had just finished watching a movie. It was a 2003 movie entitled 'Big Fish' by Tim Burton in where a boy's estranged father is dying of cancer and the son tries to make up for lost times by connecting bits and pieces from the things his father has told him over the years, and it is through reliving the memories, that he truly begins to understand his dad. It had been Valerie's idea to see the movie.

"I thought it was funny where the guy's fishing with his wedding band," Jonah said with a slight chuckle. Valerie nodded and looked up into the sky. If asked by anyone that she had underlying motives behind getting him to watch the movie, then she would have to say yes. The question was, how successful was it? Did it make Jonah think? Only time could really tell, but she knew that in order for him to connect with his father, they had to talk about Denise. But she knew Jonah better than anyone else, and she knew his pride wasn't going to let him bring up his mother.

The movie was a bit amusing in some parts, but it was also a very powerful movie, seemingly designed to make someone think seriously about issues concerning relationships of the day. Of course, Valerie hadn't planned for the fact that the movie involved the dreaded _cancer_ disease. Evidently it played a more pivotal role in trying to reach out to Jonah, who'd already lost one parent to cancer. He didn't really think Valerie had intended to try and reach out to him, but he had his suspicions.

"It really makes you think, doesn't it?" Valerie asked while taking Jonah's hand in hers. He frowned and shrugged his shoulders, he didn't think too much about what the movie's message was. Or, at least that's what he had Valerie thinking. When it came to his own father, he didn't talk much about him. "You know…as hard as it may seem, I guess we all owe it to our fathers to just understand them." Jonah lifted his eyes up to watch the clouds roll across the sky. It wasn't a matter of understanding his father, it was a matter of him not wanting to spend too much time associating with the man.

"Yeah, I suppose so." His father had always been too busy to do much of anything with the family. He would be going off to work and whenever he got home, he just went straight to his room to take a nap. It was often Denise that had to tell Jonah that his father was too tired, too stressed, too overworked, and thus Jonah would have to go out in the backyard and throw the ball around on his own. Where was his dad during his childhood? Then Denise passes on and all of a sudden Michael starts working from home and wants to 'reconnect' with his son? Who was he kidding?

"So, what's it like with your dad? Does he have those _crazy_ stories that seem too far-fetched to be true?" Jonah laughed as Valerie smiled sweetly at him. She only asked because of the movie, she really wanted him to think about his dad and try to realize that Michael was just trying to hold on to the one thing he had left in this world, and Jonah was resisting.

"My dad is always working on some big thing for his boss. You know he works for a computer company, right?" Valerie nodded as Jonah slowly pushed his hands into his pockets. His dad wrote codes for Microsoft, he was also a major author who published crime novels. Though Michael had more free time than Jonah wanted to admit, after all, that was the entire reason for starting to work from home. "He is always busy."

"Come on, he can't be _that_ busy. My dad works for Revel and he's busier than your dad, but we still make time." Jonah huffed as the two stopped at a curb. They couldn't cross the street, as the light wasn't on. It was clear that Valerie wasn't going to get through to him by talking about how his father was now, or if she could really ever get through to him. She wrapped her arm around his as the light switched, letting them know it was safe to cross the street. Once on the other side, Jonah pointed out a patch of grass with a few pinecones on it. He was often fascinated with pinecones, and never really new why. Collecting them was an old hobby he'd done as a kid.

"When I was young, my dad and I used to always go on these long walks and we'd collect pinecones to decorate the sides of the house with." Valerie raised her eyebrow as Jonah picked up two pinecones. One was wide and perfect while the other was narrow, pointy and closed up. "There are _so_ many shapes of pinecones. There's fat ones, skinny ones, some that open up neatly and some that are shut tight and you can't see inside. We would bring them home by the dozens. Some went to the bushes along the house while some, we decided to be creative with and turn them into various things."

"Wow, sounds like real fun." She smiled as he held the beautiful looking pinecone up in the air, studying it as he looked through it. This one was spectacular.

"One time, we got some gold paint and dipped a pinecone into it. Mom suggested we sprinkle it with glitter, so we did that as well. Then, if I remember correctly, we adorned it with various drawings and stuff." Valerie chuckled as she carefully took the pinecone into her hand, she had a feeling he would want her to old it carefully, so as to not break the brown stalks on the cone. It seemed a marvelous symbol of his relationship to his father. So why wasn't it there now?

"You and your dad, huh?"

"Yeah, but that was before he started to get too busy to spend any time with me." Valerie frowned as Jonah took the pinecones and set them back on the ground. He sighed softly and continued walking, Valerie followed sadly behind him. "So many days I'd want to play catch out in the yard with my father and he was too _tired_ or too _busy_ to do anything. I'd go out and throw the ball up in the air for hours before mom called me inside for dinner."

"When was all this?"

"Just before she got sick. Everything just changed for us all…" To be more precise, his mother had a long battle with cancer. She passed away when Jonah turned twelve or thirteen, and she'd been battling it since he was eight. It took a lot out of everybody there, and sometimes, they tried to pretend that the illness never existed. "Mom was slipping away, and we all did what we could to just pretend it wasn't there, because there was nothing we could do except watch her go…" Jonah wiped his eyes and heaved a heavy sigh, it was clear that he'd never really talked about his mother.

"I'm sorry Jonah…" She took his hand in hers and squeezed it lightly, she wanted to be there for him. She wanted to help him through everything that he struggled with. But there were some things that she might never be able to beat away for him. She could help to do her best to comfort him where his mother was concerned, but when it came to his father, that was something that he would have to face one day. She just didn't want that day to ever be when it was too late. "Do you ever wonder if maybe…your father just shut down?"

"If he did, I wouldn't know." It was probable, and perhaps there really was a reason that his dad wanted to connect with him. The two made it to the house and saw that Michael's car was gone. Jonah hummed slightly and remembered his dad said he was going off somewhere. "I think Dad has a doctor's appointment today. His yearly physical…"

"Oh, so should I go home then?"

"Nah, you can come inside." Jonah unlocked the door and entered the house, Valerie followed behind. "Dad's not often away from the house." Valerie nodded and looked over at Michael's study, the door was open, which was odd as far as Jonah always told her. Michael never let anyone go in there. Jonah looked around and saw some dishes on the floor near the study. He sighed and shook his head as he looked to the kitchen sink. There were some dishes there as well. "Hey Val, would you grab the dishes and stuff from Dad's study, I'm going to finish washing these."

"Does he normally leave dishes unfinished in the wash?"

"No. I guess he was running late for his appointment." Valerie nodded as she grabbed a broom and dustpan. She walked over and started sweeping up the broken dishes. She had to open the door a bit more and stepped inside to sweep up any stray pieces. Jonah started scrubbing a plate and sighed with frustration, his dad was not a klutz. "I don't remember him ever dropping plates before."

"Yeah, it happens to the best sometimes." Valerie hummed to herself and looked over to Michael's desk. She frowned when she saw a few bottle of pills on the desk. Curiosity got the best of her as she walked over to the desk. "Hey Jonah? Does your dad take any medications that you know about?"

"No."

"Huh…" She picked up the bottle and frowned, then quickly picked up another one of the bottles. As she scanned through them, she looked into the bathroom connected to Michael's study and found the medicine cabinet wide open. "How can this be?" All of the medications were for Congestive Heart Failure. On his desk were a few medical records. She glanced at them without touching and slowly stepped back, dropping the bottles. This was why he never let Jonah or anyone else in the study. This was why he was reaching out. The medical records indicated that not only had he been diagnosed with moderate CHF six years ago, they had also found traces of an aneurysm in his brain. Valerie cupped her hand over her mouth and suddenly felt very faint. Michael never wanted to worry Jonah, and he knew that his body was shutting down. If he didn't want his son to know what was going on, then would it be right for her to tell him? She was so conflicted. "Oh god…" Then again, if Michael had heart problems, and Denise had cancer, Jonah would also be at risk at some point in his life of developing a life-threatening illness. Could he really cope with that?

Valerie swallowed hard, her eyes watering slightly, and she quickly swept up the remaining fragments. She walked out of the room and slowly closed the door. How could she tell him? How could she tell him his father was dying? It wasn't her place, she knew that, but when would Michael ever be able to say it? "Jonah, does anyone in your family have a history of heart trouble?"

"Yeah, my grandpa's had a couple heart attacks…he's on life support. I thought you knew that?"

"Yeah…" He told Valerie about that before. His grandfather had to be put on some form of life support, but she never knew the cause. "Grandpa's father before him passed away due to heart failure. Why do you ask?" Jonah started setting the dishes into the dishwasher as Valerie started to become more visibly shaken. The grandfather he was talking about was Michael's dad.

"N-No reason…" She emptied the dish pieces into the trashcan and closed her eyes, slowly breathing out. She would be there for him, always, she wanted to make that clear. If Jonah ever got sick, she wanted to be there. It was Michael's place to tell his son, though. This was a nightmare. Valerie slowly looked up and at the door leading into the man's study. How long did that paper say he had? She didn't know, she didn't see it. The fact that he had an aneurysm, meant that he could pass on at any given time. Though with how his medicine containers had been scattered about, she was starting to think that doctor's appointment was a little more than a yearly physical.

* * *

And there you have it, Jonah's dad has a faulty heart condition, and if you're caught with an aneurysm, it's basically a death sentence as much as CHF is, only you don't know when it could kill you...


	12. Arriving in Vegas

Boarded

Disclaimer: Don't own iCarly, so don't get any ideas. I'm in the legal stuff too!

A/N: Enjoy.

* * *

Chapter 12 (Arriving in Vegas)

Gibby and Sam headed to the airport together, they were going to go for Las Vegas, to meet her favorite aunt and the cousin that was her favorite. However, there were some issues she needed to deal with regarding Jessica. Issues that Sam never really discussed with anybody, not even Gibby. Hell, even Melanie didn't have a clue, but Sam never wanted to tell her, for her own good.

Once on the plane, Sam rested her head on Gibby's shoulder and sighed happily. She actually was excited to meet her cousin. It wasn't so far off when Sam said she had relatives that had been in prison. Her cousin, Jessica, had gone to juvenile for a couple years because at the age of ten, she stabbed an elderly woman in the heat of passion, over a cat that Sam wanted. "Sam, how come you never told me about this cousin of yours before?"

"Just because, I never felt anyone needed to know…" Jessica probably wouldn't want random strangers knowing about something she did as a ten year old child. It wasn't far off to see young children committing murder these days, not far off at all. "She had a run in with the law while I was staying with her."

"What do you mean?" Gibby raised his eyebrows as Sam looked out the window. She had the window seat, because the one thing about planes that she loved was the view. Gibby wanted her to have it. "You think they'll be expecting us?" Sam nodded her head and smiled. She had asked her mother if it was all right, and she agreed on the circumstances that Sam be very careful. Vegas was a dirty town.

"I called Jessica and let her know we were on our way. As for the run in with the law, she doesn't like to talk about it. Naturally I was scared because of my father, and this old woman that lived next door to us…she had all these cats, so naturally, I want one." She thought cats were very comforting and soothing creatures, so what on earth was so wrong about them? "Well the woman wouldn't give up a cat, and I don't know what happened, but Jessica lost it. I think she felt the woman was threatening me, I mean she did look like she was going to attack us…"

"She attacked the woman?"

"Yes, and killed her. A blow to an elderly woman can really be bad." Gibby nodded understandably, elderly people were indeed fragile. "These investigators questioned us and eventually we told them what had happened. She got put away for a while, and I think she was released a couple years ago. Last I heard, she had a hell of a time in prison. I'm just glad she's out."

"You ever forgive her?" Sam looked at Gibby with confusion, then looked away. She never really thought of forgiveness, but that time had been really scary for her. Maybe that's what this trip was for, to get past the past and let it go. They needed to move on from what had taken place that day. "You never talk about her, now when was the last time you ever talked _to_ her?"

"It's uh…it's been awhile, I guess." Perhaps too long, it had been when she was released that she last spoke to her, and _really_ spoke with her. They really did need to talk.

"Who was the old lady? Just some cat lady?"

"Yeah, I think her name was…" Sam squinted, trying to pull a name from the memories, but she got nothing. They never even knew the woman's first name. "Mrs. Elliot, that is all I can remember. I think she had a son somewhere, estranged, I believe. The details of the case are hazy. _I_ was only around eight at the time."

"Yeah, and a memory like that…I can see why it'd be hazy." Gibby placed his arm around Sam's shoulder and pulled her close to him. She smiled and gently kissed his lips, then rested her head on his chest.

The plane landed within a few hours and Gibby had to wake Sam up carefully. He knew better than to shake her awake, as most would do to someone. Sam would attack the nearest person if shaken awake. He nudged her gently and she slowly opened her eyes. "Are we here yet?"

"Yes my love, we're here." He smirked playfully as she teasingly tapped his nose. She thought he was adorable. He stood up and helped her to her feet. They exited the plane and made their way through the terminal. All their luggage had been carry on, so they didn't have to worry about any baggage. They eventually made their way to the passenger pick up area where they waited for a few minutes before seeing Janet's car drive up for them. Sam smiled as Janet stepped out of the car and waved. "That her?"

"Aunt Janet!" Sam ran up to her and hugged her close as Gibby walked up, happy to see Sam reunited with her aunt.

"Sam! Look at you, you're so grown up!" Janet said with a grin on her face. She looked over at Gibby and smiled. "And this must be your handsome boyfriend."

"Yep, this is my man." Sam wrapped her arm around Gibby's arm and grinned. "And no one can have him, they'd have to fight me first." She looked over to the car as Jessica and Shane left the vehicle.

"Oh no it's Sam," Shane said with a laugh. Sam chuckled and nodded her head, recalling the vivid memory of when she and Carly competed for him. That crashed and burned, literally.

"Yeah, how are you holding up, Shane?"

"Well, I'm all in one piece now. The lady I'm with isn't exactly violent and scary. At least not to me." Jessica blushed as Shane kissed her forehead. He loved her more than anything in the world. She wasn't dangerous either. "It was only one time, I keep telling her that, but she still feels guilty about it."

"Okay enough," Jessica said as she gave him a playful shove. She grinned and walked over to Sam. "So, is it Sam or _Jackie_ now?" She smirked and lightly punched Sam's arm, grinning widely and remembering the name Sam had to use.

"Sam, just Sam…"

"It really is good to see you again." Sam nodded as she and Jessica shared a hug. It felt like it had been too long. Sure, Sam faked being her sister, but she still felt like Jessica was close enough to be her sister. She, Jessica, and Megan were literally that close with each other. Although, there were things that some would share with the other but omit during their conversations with another person, but that was natural with any group. "How are your mom and Melanie?"

"Both are doing very well. Melanie's still going to boarding schools."

"Yeah, that's boring, but as long as she's making good grades." Janet smiled at the girls while the guys just watched without interruption.

"I hate to cut your conversation short," Janet said while opening the car door. "But we should probably get going."

"Right!" Everyone made their way into the car, so excited to see one another. Gibby and Shane actually were able to talk to each other, having known the other for a period of time, they could comment on old memories. This was a great time to really reconnect.

"So, I didn't think you'd ever be the one to catch the elusive fish," Shane said with a smirk while talking to Gibby. It was true, Sam always pretty much kept her distance from people. "Wasn't it you that said you asked her to some dance when you guys were younger…and she broke your thumb afterwards?"

"Yeah, that was me." Gibby replied, laughing at the memory. Jessica gave Sam a questioning look, and the girl of the subject blushed crimson.

"So, how did it happen? I mean hell, I wasn't even _trying_ to get involved with her or Carly, and I ended up falling down an elevator shaft!" Jessica laughed and Sam blushed harder, she was a bit embarrassed and really was wanting to change the subject.

"It just did. I mean one day I saw her and asked her out, and she said yes." Sam looked back from the middle seat of the van and shook her head. There was a much larger story behind how she and Gibby came to be. Gibby was just always direct, so he never really gave the story.

"It was at some party that we were having for iCarly, an anniversary," Sam said with a smile. That was the part about iCarly that she loved, that would make it remain a special place in her heart forever. "Carly was dating this one guy at the time, it was a guy we both liked and he asked her out. Freddie was off dancing with some girl who pulled him to the side."

"He so didn't want to dance with her!" Gibby laughed, remembering Freddie's face when that girl pulled him away. He thought it might have been Shannon, but she was dating Rueben at the time. Hell, he was pretty sure they were still together, Shannon and Rueben.

"So I was just bored and hanging off to the side, you know. Being bored."

"She was lonely." Sam blushed and looked to her feet. "She was sitting at some table, just watching everybody in the room…"

Gibby could recall the memory very vividly as he and Sam both told the story of how they came to start dating. It was some time in the evening, and everybody was up dancing. Everybody, except Sam, that is. When he saw her, she was looking so beautiful dressed up in that deep bluish red dress, the ballroom lights made it sparkle. She looked so somber, sitting with her elbow on that clean white tablecloth and her hand pushing up her cheek. He could see how lonely she was, her eyes longing to be on that dance floor, or at least with somebody paying some sort of attention to her.

"Why are you so alone?" Gibby asked as he made his way over to her, taking a seat next to her. She shrugged and continued to gaze into the sea of people. "A woman like you shouldn't be out here, she should be up there."

"Nah, I don't care about it so much. Besides, Carly's the flower, the one with all the attention." Gibby looked towards Carly and shrugged, he didn't see what most saw in her.

"I don't see any of that. For one, your eyes tell me something entirely different." Sam raised her eyebrow and looked over at Gibby, was he about to attempt to see into her? Nah, nobody really ever did that. Gibby set a glass of soda on his table and looked at Sam, meeting her gaze with his. "No, your eyes are beautiful, but with a hint of sadness…loneliness…"

"You think so, huh?"

"Yeah, you're wishing you were Carly, I bet." Sam frowned and closed her eyes. She didn't want to admit that she did feel that way sometimes, she honestly did. She felt bad for thinking like that, however. It wasn't fair, being jealous of your best friend. "I don't believe it would be good if you were Carly. You wouldn't be you."

"There is nothing about me that is good." Sam looked away and set her hand underneath her chin. Wasn't that the truth? She was a bad person inside and out. Gibby knew she'd been hurt, but by whom? She never talked about her life, never talked about her past. There was something hidden inside her soul that made her feel insecure, but in reality, she really was beautiful. "Carly's the good one…she's the one that deserves to be happy. Not me."

"I don't know if I agree." Sam raised her eyebrow once more and looked at Gibby as he took a drink. "I think the real flower is you."

"Why?"

"Because of what a flower is…" Gibby reached for the small flower on his suit and set it on the table. Sam looked at it and smiled, the flower was a hibiscus, her favorite flower. "A flower is beautiful, but also very delicate and fragile."

"You think I'm-"

"Delicate? Yes. Fragile? Maybe…" He breathed in and looked at her with a soft smile. "If handled the wrong way, it can lose its petals. However, it never stops being beautiful and never stops being something that many people want."

"That's very…thoughtful…"

"Thanks. You can have this flower, I get the feeling you would like it." Sam smiled appreciatively and took the flower, sniffing it. She really was pretty, he had thought so for the longest time but never actually said it. "Would you like to dance, Sam?"

"You're not afraid I'll break your arm for that?"

"No, I have a feeling I'm in the clear." They smirked at each other and she slipped the flower into her pocket. She really didn't want to dance, she was more interested in hearing his thoughts on other things now. If he could compare her to a flower, what other analogies did he have? What other insights did he have on this world?

"No…let's go for a walk, they won't miss us for a while." She smiled as Gibby nodded and rose with her. They left the ballroom and started heading down the hall. "Do you enjoy the outdoors?" He actually had seen through her, and she could tell he was an insightful person. She'd not seen these things about him before.

"I love the outdoors, actually. I think it's very peaceful after I get done with wrestling after school." Sam smiled and nodded her head. He was a very interesting man, she just wanted to know more.

"And that's how it all happened," Sam said as Janet pulled to a stop at the house. Gibby smiled and held her hand as Jessica cooed over the story. She thought it was very cute, very romantic. "It started over a flower."

"Yeah, if you're into details, that's what happened," Gibby said with a smile while closing his eyes. He didn't like telling romantic stories, but he didn't mind living them.

"Okay kids, time to go inside!" Janet said as she exited the car. The others nodded and followed her into the house. This reunion was really off to a great start.

* * *

Hope you enjoyed this chapter, a little insight on how Gibby and Sam got together.


	13. Trust and Distrust

Boarded

Disclaimer: Don't own iCarly, so don't get any ideas. I'm in the legal stuff too!

A/N: Enjoy.

* * *

Chapter 13 (Trust and Distrust)

Kendal and Alison walked the campus of the boarding school together, as again Melanie was at tennis practice. She seemed to be there every day, just like Freddie, Kevin, and the baseball team. Nowadays it was hard to spend time with Melanie, especially considering how much time she spent with Freddie. Although, she did still spend a lot of time with her friends, that was what true friends did with one another. Just like Kendal and Alison together, despite the fact that sometimes they warred on their thoughts and opinions.

"I'm glad Melanie's happy," Kendal said with a smile. Alison nodded her head and smiled in return, she'd not seen her friends so happy in a long time. It was the snuggles that she always told them about, and the moments where he would touch her hand or hold her. They weren't dating yet, but damn if she didn't want to date him, they would be surprised. "So why doesn't she ask him out, that's what I've been wondering." Kendal rubbed her chin and looked down at the ground, thinking.

"She's a bit shy still when it comes to asking him out," Alison responded quietly. She was sure Freddie wouldn't reject her, but at the same time, she was afraid of it. Alison couldn't figure out why she was _still_ afraid of that, when clearly Freddie liked her too. "Something's just got to push those two along or they'll never tell each other their feelings." Kendal laughed, one of the few times she actually _agreed_ with Alison. "I'm telling you, that girl is like a lovesick puppy."

"So we're on the same page here, Melanie's got the hots for Freddie." Alison laughed and nodded. The girls looked over and spotted Mitchel, the quarterback for the football team. "Ooh Alison look! It's Mitchel!" Alison looked over and frowned. She didn't see what Kendal thought was so attractive about the guy. He was a conceited jerk. Alison crossed her arms over and tilted her head.

"He's a conceited, self-absorbed asshole. And yet you like him?"

"Yeah, but I wouldn't ever date the guy. I just enjoy fawning over him." Alison raised her eyebrow as Kendal grinned happily. "Hey, it's not like you don't like fawning over that weird kid, _Vinson_."

"Yeah but at least he's not a self-absorbed asshole."

"You think _everyone_ is an asshole before you even meet them!" Alison shrugged as they looked over to the football team. Mitchel stopped and looked at Kendal, waving and smiling as if trying to grab her attention. "Aw look, he's waving at me." Alison rolled her eyes and grabbed Kendal's arm.

"Ugh, come on Alison." Kendal yelped as Alison jerked her away. Mitchel frowned as he watched the girls leave. Kendal couldn't help that she was attracted to the guy. He had muscles, good looks, and a perfectly trimmed head of golden hair. He was like a rock star to her. Kendal sighed and pulled away, she knew she probably wouldn't be able to date Mitchel anyway, she already had a boyfriend.

"It's okay, I'm already dating someone anyway." Alison froze and looked over at her, narrowing her eyes. What? When did this happen and why didn't she know about it? "He's on the baseball team, just like Kevin and Freddie are."

"You're _dating_ someone? Why didn't you tell me? Don't you know that you're supposed to tell your friends these things!" Alison stared into Kendal's eyes as the girl backed away one step.

"No, I knew you'd get upset and go all crazy on him."

"You don't know if he's a good person or not!"

"You don't either, that's why you date and find out." Kendal stuck her tongue out as Alison smacked her forehead. Kendal knew better than to date without a background check.

"Whatever happened to not trusting people too soon?"

"I'm not, it's just…he seems like a really nice guy, and I'm all for not letting my past eat me up inside anymore." Alison and Kendal both silenced and looked away from each other for a moment. It was how they met, both of them had gone through a series of foster homes when they were children, both having been taken from their families due to their stepfathers being drunk off their rocker. Each foster home for them was different, some good and some not so hot. Finally one foster family adopted both of them together, and that was how they met. It wasn't long before that family sent them off to boarding school together. "I don't want to think about it anymore, Alison. I want to move on."

"So you're just going to trust some guy you haven't known for…when did you meet him?"

"About a month ago, we just talked and then met up a week or two later. We've been dating for about two weeks…" Alison sighed and slowly crossed her arms, closing her eyes and shaking her head. She didn't know what to say, other than she had a really bad feeling. Who was this person that Kendal decided to date?

"Who is he?"

"Jerry, the star pitcher for the baseball team, he's really nice!" Alison felt a sickening churning in her stomach, something didn't sit well with that. She wasn't going to say anything about it though. If Kendal wanted to go about this the way she was, she'd let her. She knew to leave well enough alone when her meddling wasn't wanted or needed. "He always seems to ask questions about Melanie's family, though."

"Wonder why…" It didn't seem to be anything to probe, it was just a simple statement in the conversation that would be forgotten in a day. "And you trust this guy?"

"Well…" Kendal breathed out and looked to the side. She didn't trust him completely, no, it was hard to really do that. For them, trusting a person to not leave them or throw them away like trash was a bit difficult. "Not entirely, but like I said, I'm not letting those who've hurt me in my past get the better of me. They won't affect my ability to have relationships."

"That's actually a good idea." Alison caught something in the corner of her eye and looked over to see Mitchel running up to them. She raised her eyebrows as he jogged next to Kendal. Kendal looked over at him and smiled.

"Hey Kendal, I couldn't help but notice you earlier," Mitchel said with a smile. He'd always held an interest for her. He thought she was pretty. He hated how everybody thought he was some great asshole just because he was on the football team. He had to be tough sometimes, it was almost like war out there. If you weren't strong, you'd get blown to bits by the enemy team. His teammates actually always teased him for liking someone that wasn't a cheerleader.

"Hi Mitchel, what's going on?" Kendal asked as she turned to him.

"Well, I was wondering if, maybe, well…you'd like to, I don't know…grab a bite to eat and talk?" His face was slowly turning red. He finally worked up the courage to ask her to hang out, and if she accepted, maybe they could work up a friendship and then maybe he could ask her out. Kendal pressed her lips together and sighed.

"I'm sorry Mitchel, but I'm meeting up with my boyfriend in a few minutes."

"What?" The color drained from his face and his eyes widened. How embarrassing. "Oh, you have a boyfriend? That's awesome! I don't have a girlfriend yet, my teammates tease me for not wanting to date the cheerleaders, but they're all so vain…"

"Hence why I never like cheerleaders." Kendal smiled and gave Mitchel a friendly hug, she didn't want him to feel bad or anything. "Maybe another time, okay?"

"Y-Yeah, I'd like that." He chuckled nervously and ran off, waving at her from the distance. Kendal waved back and turned to Alison, who was shaking her head and chuckling. She couldn't help it, she just never thought she'd see the star quarterback acting _nervous_ over a girl, surely not Kendal.

"See? He's not so bad." Kendal suddenly felt arms around her eyes and smiled as Jerry whispered to her.

"Guess who," Jerry said quietly. Alison frowned and looked away. The guy was still in his sweaty little baseball uniform too. Hell, there was dirt smudged all over his last name, Elliot.

"Jerry!" Kendal turned around and hugged him tightly, she was very happy to see him. "How was practice?"

"It went great, I think we're going to be ready for the game next week."

"I bet you will be!" Alison placed her hand on her stomach and groaned, she felt like she was going to be sick.

"I'm just going to go," Alison said quietly as she started to turn around. Kendal smiled and quickly hugged her, saying goodbye for a while. "Yeah, see you later Kendal." She continued on and rolled her eyes, mocking Jerry and Kendal briefly. She looked over to some bleachers and saw Vinson reading from a book. Smiling, she walked over to him and sat down. "Hey there..." Vinson looked up at her and smiled.

"Hey," he replied.

"What are you reading?" Vinson turned the front cover of the book to show the title.

"Hamlet…"

"Shakespeare? I didn't know you liked Shakespeare…"

"Yeah, he's one of my favorite authors. Everyone thinks that since I'm Goth, I need to read murder, horror, and dark cultic stuff." Alison chuckled as Vinson reopened his book, he'd become enshrouded in the story so far. "I like other stuff, I don't care for most dark things. I'm more of an action or adventure type of reader, and would you believe…I actually read romances too…"

"There's nothing wrong with that. I happen to enjoy romance novels!" Vinson chuckled and looked at her. He put his hands together like he was framing her and shook his head. "What are you doing?"

"I don't see it, I don't think you would be the type to do romance."

"Well I happen to love romance novels. Is there anything wrong with that?"

"Nope." Vinson sighed as he moved his hair back, he really needed to get a haircut. He could be gothic and not have hair falling in front of his face like this, but it seemed everybody expected him to. "I hate my hair…"

"Then why do you wear it like that?" Vinson shrugged and closed his eyes.

"Because everybody in the world has a social system…if you're a Goth like me, you're expected to have hair like this. If you're a hot, ditzy blonde, you're expected to be a cheerleader. If you wear glasses, or even if you're good with technology you're expected to be smart and on some club for 'nerds' as they're called, and not on any athletic or 'cool kid' team." Alison blinked and counted on her fingers, she shrugged and shook her head.

"Not so, my friend Kendal isn't a cheerleader. In fact, she hates cheerleaders." Vinson chuckled and nodded his head, he had seen Kendal around enough to gather that fact. "Melanie's blond but not ditzy at all. There's also Freddie, this kid that she likes, and he's good with technology but is on the baseball team and…can be pretty damn stupid if you ask me." Vinson laughed as Alison crossed her arms and smirked. "You can be whoever you want to be, Vinson. Don't do things just because your friends tell you how to be."

"Yeah, but you see, if I cut my hair they might laugh…" He shouldn't care, but he just didn't want to be ostracized by his friends.

"So what, if they laugh, then they're not your real friends. A real friend _won't_ laugh at you for what you believe or for stating your opinion." Vinson smiled slightly and went back to his book.

"You're cool, I like that." Alison blushed slightly and leaned back, placing her hands on the back of the bleacher. She looked out to see Kendal and Jerry walking in the distance. Vinson looked in her direction and frowned. "You don't like the guy, do you?"

"No, but I'm not going to tell Kendal who or who not to date. It wouldn't be right to her…"

"You might have a good reason to not trust him, you know." She shrugged and closed her eyes. After dealing with Freddie, and now hearing that Kendal started dating this guy without so much as a word to her friends, she figured maybe she was the one screwing up.

"Yeah, but it's not my place."

* * *

So we learn a little more backstory of Kendal and Alison. I believe the next chapter is another bit of backstory for yet another character. Stay tuned!


	14. Monster

Boarded

Disclaimer: Don't own iCarly, so don't get any ideas. I'm in the legal stuff too!

A/N: Enjoy. Sorry I haven't uploaded this chapter yet, I'm getting caught up with some fanfiction in a different fandom, haha. Anyway read on!

* * *

Chapter 14 (The Monster)

"So you're not still bothered by what happened before, are you?" Jessica asked as she and Sam tended to the garden in the backyard. Janet had since moved their location, not wanting to be stuck on that same street. She was in a quieter part of town now and had a really big yard. She had several different things planted, such as tomatoes, cucumbers, pumpkins, and a number of other vegetables of the season. It was calming for both she and Jessica to work in the garden.

"I still remember it like it was yesterday, if that's what you mean," Sam said while leaning against the shovel. They were planting some more tomato plants. Jessica frowned as Sam looked up into the sky. "I'm glad you're not so much of an angry person now."

"I wasn't then either, you know that…I just didn't want my little cousin to be attacked by anyone." After Sam's father, Jessica was really protective and defensive. She hadn't meant to kill the old woman, it was an accident in reality, but she still endured hell because of it. "I'll sit with that on my mind for a long time, but what I will never forget are those years in juvenile." Sam raised her eyebrow as she dug a hole and Jessica dropped some seeds in. They refilled the hole and sprinkled some water on the surface. Jessica stared at the soil for a minute and Sam eyed her, filling up with concern. "I'll never forget that monster, the very thing of my nightmares…" Sam slowly placed her hand on Jessica's shoulder. Her cousin looked up at her, meeting her eyes sadly.

"You know you can talk to me, Jessica." Sam was greatly concerned for her cousin, she'd never spoken of her time in prison. It was always a tender subject, it seemed that it still was. Jessica closed her eyes and shook her head, she didn't want to bring it up, but she did feel like she needed to talk about it. Sam did know that the prison was one of the few ones out there that had been a co-ed prison, but that didn't mean anything to Jessica, she always said that was never a problem. Something else was, though. "What happened to you in your time there? Tell me, you know you can talk to me. I'm your cousin."

"I know…"

Gibby and Shane watched the women from inside, they were happy to see the girls forming a bond again. It seemed like it had been so long since the incident. Jessica had got sent to juvenile based off of voluntary manslaughter, a lesser sentence but one still requiring jail-time, of course. "Jessica hated that place," Shane said quietly as he watched the girls continue their work. Gibby raised his eyebrow and looked over as Shane slowly walked over to a counter.

"What was wrong with the prison, if you don't mind me asking?"

"Well for one thing, it was a place where kids were sent with smaller charges, like manslaughter or breaking and entering. Or, they were sent there because they were a 'bad apple' and their parents wanted to teach them a lesson by sending them there." Gibby nodded and walked over to the counter as Shane poured a couple glasses of tea. "The place has long since been changed to a single sex prison. That's where _he_ was sent by his father."

"Who?"

"That monster…the monster that beat Jessica, and threatened her. He was the reason that the investigators sought to have her transferred elsewhere, but she was stuck there until her sentence was finished and until he was released."

"Who got out first?"

"He did, his father thought he learned his lesson and he wouldn't get into all these fights anymore." Gibby frowned and looked out the window while sipping his drink. So Jessica had been hurt in prison, no wonder she never wanted to talk about her time in there.

"He's the object of my nightmares," Jessica said as she walked away from the garden. They were done with their work on it, but either way, Jessica didn't feel like continuing. She sat down on a small bench in the yard and Sam sat with her. "You can see why I never wanted to tell you or Melanie what happened in prison. I didn't want my younger cousins to think that _I _was weak. I wanted to be strong, to appear strong. I was supposed to protect you, I was supposed to take care of you, and I failed at that. That lady wasn't going to attack you, but I thought she was. I go to prison, and that monster…"

"Jessica, you know he probably doesn't know where you are now, right?"

"That's not it. I'm not worried about myself…I'm worried about you…"

"Why? Why worry about me? I'm strong, and believe me when I say this, you are strong too." Jessica closed her eyes as Sam hugged her close. "You're the reason for me being so strong. You aren't weak."

"You don't know what happened, and you don't know the threat…"

"Then tell me. I'm right here for you now." Jessica sighed and slowly nodded her head. If it would help in any way, she would tell Sam. She sighed and recalled the memory.

In her cold cell, Jessica sat on the bed in the corner, weeping. She never meant to kill the woman. She had to spend a few years alone in a prison now, she was too young. She wasn't even eleven when she got there, and now she was thirteen, almost fourteen. She'd be released soon, she hoped. That's when the monster arrived, he'd been there for a while now, she wasn't sure how long. He was in the boy's side of the prison, but they often met up during the recess time. Or, he found her.

Recess, she dreaded it. It was the time when the inmates got to wander in the yard, free from their cells for about an hour. Most loved it, but for her it was a living nightmare. She gasped as her cell door opened and an officer gestured her out. "Recess, Trent, come on." Jessica shook her head, but it was futile, there was no option. She slowly trudged across the cell and followed the guard outside. How long would she last this time? Fights broke out all the time, the guards just didn't bother with half of them anymore. All her complaints to the guards were futile as well, they just didn't care about 'juvenile delinquents' as they were so often named. As for her, they figured she deserved it. So much so, that she was starting to believe it.

She made it outside and the sun pierced her eyes. She whined as she made her way to the corner of the yard, not wanting to join in with the other inmates. She was scared of them, she didn't belong with them. Sure, she might have been better off grouping up with fellow inmates, but she would never do that.

She looked to the door, and that's when she saw him. The monster. Her eyes widened as he walked outside, narrowing his eyes and peering across the field. He had long blonde hair, spiked up at the top. It wasn't quite a mullet style, but it seemed close to one. His face was stern as always and his eyes dark. He hated Jessica, she was the object of all his aggressions. She tried to hide, she wanted to run, but she couldn't. She could only close her eyes and pray. He looked over and spotted her, smirking deviously.

"There you are!" The monster shouted.

"No!" Jessica cried out as her eyes flew open. He approached her and grabbed her shirt, pulling her up.

"I've been looking around for you, Trent. I missed you last recess, so I'm going to beat you twice as hard." Jessica whimpered and shook her head as he threw her on the ground.

"Please! I didn't mean to!"

"It doesn't bring the old woman back."

"Neither does beating me…"

"No, but it brings me joy." The monster laughed and kicked her in the side. She shouted out and curled up, holding her stomach as he continued to abuse her. Why did she have to endure this hell? Why did he always have to hurt her? "You're dead, Trent. You're going to be as dead as that lady you killed."

"Please no! Don't hurt me!" He grabbed her hair and pulled her up. She knew her cries were in vain. Why did nobody help her? Why did nobody stop him? Those two investigators were working to try and help her, but she couldn't be transferred out. Why? "I didn't mean it, I didn't mean it!"

"Then why do it?" Jessica cried again as he started dragging her across the field by her legs. She tried clawing at the ground, hoping to pull herself away from him. The monster was going to kill her, she was sure of it.

"Hey!" A voice shouted. It was her cellmate, the girl who had been transferred in about a month or so ago. "Leave her alone!" The monster looked over at her and growled, he did not like being interrupted or told what to do. He slammed Jessica's leg down, causing her to exclaim and breathe in sharply. "If you want to pick on someone, pick on someone of your level, _tough guy_."

"Don't interfere."

"Oh I'm interfering!" And just like that, she punched him in the face. The man shouted and a fight erupted between the two, long enough for Jessica to pull herself to her feet and run away.

It seemed an eternity before he was to be released, and on the day he was released, he left those words to burn her. "When you get out, Trent, I'm going to find you…I'm going to find you and your sister, Jackie, and I'm going to make you pay. If you thought you went through hell now, I'll show you hell."

"That's what happened," Jessica said as she broke away from the memory and looked back at the garden to make sure she knew where she was. She was shaking, her body wet with sweat. Sam gave her a comforting hug and held her tight.

"I'm sorry, you didn't deserve to go through that. It's okay now."

"It isn't okay. He's out there somewhere and he's going to find me, I just know he is. I don't want him to hurt me, I don't want him to hurt you or Melanie."

"He's not going to find you, he's not going to find me, and he sure as hell isn't going to find Melanie."

"How do you know?"

"Well for one thing…" Sam started counting off her fingers, holding up her index finger and bringing another up with each point. "Melanie's at a boarding school in Texas. He probably doesn't know that Jackie wasn't my real name. And finally, he probably doesn't know where you live."

Gibby was shaken and Shane was tense from recalling the same memory that Jessica had told him when they first met. She had wanted him to know that she wasn't a bad person. "I can't believe someone would be so cruel," Gibby said while shaking his head. "Then again, there are some pretty evil people out there."

"Do you want to know why those shitty guards did nothing to help Jessica?" Shane asked while looking over at Gibby. Gibby slowly nodded his head, he did want to know why people wouldn't care enough to protect a girl being targeted by a man. "Because that monster was the old woman's grandson…they thought Jessica _deserved_ to get beaten up by that bastard, because he was the victim's relative."

"Dear god…they should lose their jobs for being so negligent."

"They never did." Gibby shook his head and sighed as he looked out through the window. The important thing wasn't that, though, it was whether or not Jessica was healing from all of that. Perhaps Sam's being here was a good thing, she could always help her cousin out emotionally.

* * *

You'll enjoy the next chapter, it's very sweet and it portrays Freddie and Melanie.


	15. My Rose

Boarded

Disclaimer: Don't own iCarly, so don't get any ideas. I'm in the legal stuff too!

A/N: Enjoy.

* * *

Chapter 15 (My Rose)

Melanie and her friends walked through the school hallways, class had been interesting today and finally Melanie didn't have to deal with practice after class. Upon making it to her locker, she found a small coral rose slipped into the holes in her locker. Melanie lifted her eyebrows and pulled the rose from the locker, her friends grinned and surrounded her. "What is that?" Alison asked curiously, it looked like Melanie might have an admirer.

"Someone left me a rose, obviously," Melanie responded chuckling. She was very into the meanings of various flowers, and she knew what a coral rose meant. Desire. She looked back to the locker and saw that a yellow rose was with it. Upon picking it up, she realized there were red tips. A rose with red tips often symbolized falling for a friend. She smiled and opened the note that came with it. "Oh yeah, it's an admirer. He's claiming secrecy."

"Really now? What does the note say?" Kendal asked as she tried to read over Melanie's shoulder. Melanie laughed and hid the note against her chest, not letting Kendal read it. "Aw come on, you got a secret admirer!" Now the question was, just how 'secret' was this admirer? At least Kendal and Alison knew of only one person that was an admirer. "What does the note say? We want to know!"

"My you are so demanding." Kendal whined and reached for the note, but Melanie turned around, holding it to her chest. Alison laughed at this and waited as Melanie kept turning around and Kendal kept reaching. "I'll read it! I will read it." Kendal huffed and crossed her arms, giving up. Alison and Melanie laughed. She unfolded the note and smiled as she began reading it. "Coral rose, desire…Yellow rose, friendship. Yellow rose, red tips, falling for a friend. You and I have become fast friends, and I desire to know more about you. You may or may not already know who I am, but I will slowly reveal myself to you in these notes. When you reach the final rose, I will personally hand it to you. I want you to know more about me, and I want to know your heart. If you accept this, the next rose will be tucked at the water fountain next to the math hall."

"Ooh, so your admirer's got you on a quest," Alison said with a sly grin.

"So sweet…I'll do it!" Kendal and Alison looked at each other with knowing smirks. Melanie put her books into the locker and pulled a bag from it, it would be perfect to hold the roses in. She ran towards the math hall, the girls followed swiftly behind. On the water fountain, they saw a rose that someone was about to pick up. Alison swooped in and grabbed the rose.

"This is not yours!" Alison said to the girl. The girl sighed and went on her way. "Thank you." Alison handed Melanie the rose for her to inspect. It was a lavender color. She closed her eyes and brought it to her nose, sniffing the sweet flower. "What does lavender mean, Mel?"

"Enchantment, he's enchanted by me." Alison smiled as Melanie opened the note that accompanied it. "I can't stop shaking whenever I'm around you, you make me go weak at my knees. There is no way I can explain the power you have over me, the spell you've put me under. I love the outside. Hiking and biking are just some of my favorite activities. Find the next note in the hands of someone you know."

"What?" Kendal frowned and rubbed her hands. Someone Melanie knew, but how? Neither she or Alison had a rose in their possessions, so who would have it. Melanie pressed her lips together and looked up to see Kevin walking around the corner, a confused expression on his face. "Kevin, why do you look so confused?"

"Because some random person ran up and threw this on my books," Kevin said as he pulled a pink rose from his pocket. Melanie's eyes widened as Kendal reached for it. Kevin raised his eyebrows curiously as Kendal squealed and handed it to Melanie. Pink roses meant gratitude, or gracefulness, there was a number of things one could imply with that color.

"It's for you!" Melanie took it carefully and smiled as Freddie walked up to the group.

"Hey girls," Freddie said while waving at them. "Kevin, where have you been, man?"

"Sorry Freddie, I was stuck in class." Freddie nodded and looked over at Melanie, surprised to see a rose in her hand.

"Who's sending you flowers, Mel?"

"I don't know, he's a secret admirer," Melanie replied with a smile. Freddie tilted his head as she opened the note. "I have liked various girls in my life, and I've known a lot of women, but none…none I have met have been as pleasant, as graceful, as sweet, joyous, and gentle as you. I like you a lot, I want you to know that. Your friends might have been a bit freaked out by me at first, but they were just protecting you." Melanie smiled and looked at Alison and Kendal happily. "Aw, you guys." They smiled at her and placed their elbows on her shoulder as she continued to read the note. "Another fact about me, my parents are divorced and my father is very high up on the police force. Find the next flower on the gate surrounding the baseball field."

"Ooh, he's got a dad on the force," Kendal said with impression. The fact that this man had a police officer dad was something to be impressed about. Freddie rolled his eyes and looked at Kevin, he really didn't want to get caught up in some random girl stuff. After having dealt with Carly and Sam for so many years, being dragged to weird female stuff, he _really_ didn't like getting involved like that.

"Come on Kevin, let's go. We don't need to get mixed up in all this girly stuff." Kevin laughed and nodded his head as he and Freddie ran off. The girls just glared at them. Melanie smiled and held the note to her chest, dreaming of who her admirer was. She then hurried to the baseball field, the girls noticed she had ran off and shouted while running after her. Damn was she ever in a hurry.

"Okay help me find this rose!" Melanie said once they arrived. The baseball gate was very big. They split up and ran along the perimeter, searching for a flower. Eventually, Melanie found it near where the batters hung out. She smiled as she eyed it with fascination. "I found it! It's blue!" Melanie took it gingerly as Kendal and Alison ran up to her. She actually thought blue roses were among the most beautiful of them all.

"Blue, huh?" Alison asked while leaning against the gate and crossing her arms. Melanie held it close to her heart and nodded, she was becoming very excited. Blue roses signified an unattainable dream, or just simply, a dream. Was he saying she was like a dream? Maybe, just maybe she was his dream girl! Melanie quickly opened the note, eager to see what he said this time, and read it.

"You are my dream, I go to sleep at nights and you at the first thing on my mind when I close my eyes. You are also the last thing on my mind before I open them. My roommate won't stop teasing me about it, at least he is my best friend. You are the one I want to hold, the one I want to caress, the one I want to save. Another fact about me, I know your sister and like you, for the longest time, my closet friends were female. Thank god for a _male _best friend." Alison and Kendal chuckled as Melanie looked up from the card. God how she wanted to meet him so badly, he was just teasing her right now, stringing her along. She was addicted, she couldn't stop. "By the way, the next rose will be on your science teacher's desk."

"Back to the school!" Alison shouted. Melanie laughed as they each broke into a run towards the school building. When they made it to the science room, they met the professor writing on his desk. He looked up at them through his glasses and smiled.

"Ah Melanie Puckett, how are you?" The teacher asked with a small smile. His brow furrowed and he gave a heavy sigh. "A young man left this for you. Don't worry, I didn't read it." He lifted the orange rose from his desk and Melanie handled it carefully and smiling with glee. She opened the note and read it quickly, not noticing that Alison and Kendal were leaving.

"My best friend is actually the _second_ person I met, but the first I got to know on an official basis. The first person I met was your best friend, Alison. Boy, did she scare the hell out of me. I love how enthusiastic you are, despite the pain you have suffered in the past, I am so proud that you don't let it hurt you too much, and that is what makes you strong. I love that about you, and again, I want to be the person to help make it easier." Melanie wiped her eye and looked around, stunned to see that Alison and Kendal were now gone. Where did they go? Why did they leave her? She frowned and went back to the note. "By now you've no doubt realized that your friends are gone. There is a reason, for they are helping me with this. They are behind the roses. More than likely, they will be waiting for you with me. This is to let me know that you _are_ following this trail of roses and I don't have to lose hope. Another fact about me, I am sometimes a hopeless romantic and I admire my father more than anyone else in this world. I believe he is very strong, and I want to be just like him one day."

Melanie sighed contently and leaned against the wall. How sweet he seemed. Orange roses of course, symbolized enthusiasm, fascination, and yes, desire. She looked back at the note before carefully pushing it into the bag with all the other roses. The next rose would be on the steps of her housing unit. She quickly ran off, leaving the teacher rolling his eyes and chuckling. She made it to her housing unit and saw on the steps was a very dark, burgundy rose. She knew this meant something similar to hidden beauty. She lifted the rose and opened the note up, taking in a deep breath.

"You, like this flower, like that blue flower you received, are very beautiful. Now, I know from Alison and Kendal that blue is your favorite color and the favorite color in the large batch of rose colors. My favorite color happens to be a mix between red and black, so I can say dark red. Like this rose here, I believe is the most beautiful colored rose. It is also overlooked for its beauty because it is not the brightest. Like you, you and your sister both have had bad pasts, which seems to cause you to darken whenever you think about it…Kendal tells me that you don't think of yourself as pretty, as beautiful, but that is where you are wrong. You _are_ beautiful. True beauty comes from underneath, Melanie, and with how much heart you have, you are truly beautiful. The next fact you need to know about me is that I am usually a very confident person and I try my best to believe in my own abilities. I am technical, yes, but I want to work in the field of Criminal Justice one day. That is the work field that has my heart. The next flower will be found lying in front of your door."

"Oh how sweet!" Melanie ran inside and ran past the front desk, scaring the person sitting there. When she made it to her dormitory, she saw a white Christmas rose sitting in front of it. A white rose usually meant purity, but she knew that a Christmas rose often asked someone to take away one's anxiety. She gingerly picked it up and read the note that came with it. "My nerves are shot, I'm extremely anxious, and your friends keep telling me it's going to be okay. My best friend tells me you like me, but I'm still scared. Will you accept me? Will you reject me? These are only some of the fears going through my mind. I want you to know how I feel, but you seem so far away from me. I'm anxious as ever, Melanie. Another fact you must know about me: No girl, and I mean _no girl_ has ever shaken and spun my world around in so many ways as you have. The effect you've had on me is the most empowering feeling I've ever gotten. You've stolen my heart, and I don't think you even tried to. The next rose, will not have a note attached to it. It will be found at your tennis courts. There, the ball will be in your court. I will be waiting anxiously for you."

"Oh my god!" Melanie squealed and ran out of the building, she knew who it was that was sending her the roses. She had known for a bit, but was going along with the roses. She couldn't wait and was glad that he was going to finally reveal himself.

Upon reaching the tennis courts, she found Alison and Kendal lounging around. They looked up at her and smiled apologetically for leaving her in the dust. "Sorry we left so suddenly, it was part of the whole thing," Alison said with a simple smile. Melanie nodded and continued walking, she didn't care at the moment. She froze in the center on the side she was often on. This was her field, her place, her home. This was his way of letting her know that what happened next was her choice and he would gladly accept whatever she chose.

"It's okay Alison, don't worry about it. I'm just waiting for him, where is he?" Alison smiled and closed her eyes, calling out for Kevin.

"Okay Kevin, bring him out!" Alison called out. Melanie's eyes brightened and danced as Kevin walked onto the field with a man who had a small black mask on. Melanie couldn't help but to roll her eyes, did he really have to keep up the 'secret' act? She already knew who he was.

"Really, you'd think you didn't have to keep it up…" Melanie walked forward and smirked, seeing him shake and sweat. She was glad to have this effect on someone, especially him. He had a red rose in his hand. She gladly took the rose from him and gently placed it in her rose bag. "I know who you are."

"You do?" He asked with a subtle smirk. "When did you know?"

"From the very first rose…" She smiled sweetly and slowly lifted her hands to his mask. "You're a very sweet man…" Carefully, she began removing his mask. "Freddie Benson." His face turned red as Kevin and the others all grinned. She met his gaze and leaned forward. Blushing, she kissed his lips, taking him by surprise. She wrapped her arms around his neck and felt him slowly wrap his arms around her waist. God this felt so good, she waited so long for this moment.

Alison, Kendal, and Kevin stood next to each other, all leaning against the fence. They were happy for their friends finally starting to be happy again. They looked away and to the beautiful orange sky, this was one of the most perfect sunsets they'd seen in a long time.

Melanie pulled her lips back and smiled into Freddie's eyes. She did feel very relaxed in his arms, maybe this was where she was meant to be. She smiled when she realized he was still there, holding her, gazing back at her. "Wow, you didn't run away screaming." She smirked as Freddie winced.

"Yeah, about that…"

"Don't worry, I don't care anymore." Kevin rolled his eyes and flicked the stereo on and played the CD in it. A soft slow song began playing from the stereo. Melanie gasped and recognized it as the same song that had played on that night. "Freddie, that's…"

"Yep, you and I have a dance to finish." She smiled sweetly and he stopped shaking, though it had been a very mild shake. He was happy to be able to hold her like this. He gazed into her soft eyes as they danced very carefully.

"This is much better than that time. You and me, the setting sun…looking into your eyes…" She placed her head on his shoulder and sighed contently, closing her eyes and smiling. Kevin smiled and looked at the girls, holding his hands out for high fives. They returned them and began walking away, leaving the two alone together. It didn't take much to actually get Freddie to do this, despite the fact that he had been really scared. And as it turned out, he didn't need to be afraid, she wasn't rejecting him. "Thank you for the roses, I should give you one."

"No need, Melanie. You are my rose." A cheesy, but yet romantic line, and it certainly received it's desired reaction as Melanie blushed redder than a tomato.

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Thanks again to all that's reviewing this, not sure where Lantern went, missing your reviews a bit dude. Anyway, I hope you all liked this chapter, stick around for the next!


	16. Phone Conversation

Boarded

Disclaimer: Don't own iCarly, so don't get any ideas. I'm in the legal stuff too!

A/N: Enjoy.

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Chapter 16 (Phone Conversation)

"He did what?" Sam asked while speaking into the phone. Her eyes were wide and a smile was slowly gracing her lips. Melanie had called her up to let her know what happened, and how excited she was. Gibby looked up from the couch he had been napping on and raised his eyebrow in interest. Sam looked at him and placed her hand over the speaker on the phone. "Freddie finally sucked up his pride and told Melanie he likes her."

"Oh, well that's good." He had wondered if Freddie would ever actually manage to tell Melanie his feelings, as Sam had talked to him about the two. He had placed his bets on Melanie telling Freddie first. "So, are they going on any dates?" Sam grinned and quickly returned to her phone call, she just had to know all the details.

"Okay Sis, leave nothing out! When is your first date?" Melanie laughed and closed her eyes, thinking joyously of when she and Freddie would have their first date. She had never been so happy in her life. She hesitated a moment before telling Sam, she wanted to build her sister's anticipation before letting anything out. Sam whined for a second. "Come on, don't leave your favorite sister in the dark here!"

"You're my only sister, Sam." Melanie walked towards her desk and moved her index finger on it in a slow, heart shaped motion. It felt like nothing could take her off of her high horse. "So he gets my friends together and starts leading me in this hunt for these different colored roses, and you know how I am about rose colors." Sam nodded and smirked lightly, how had Freddie known Melanie was so into the colors? Well, perhaps she helped him just a little bit on that fact. "Then, very romantically, he meets me on the tennis courts and is all nervous."

"Freddie, _nervous_?" Sam's eyebrows lifted up in surprise, she'd not seen Freddie ever become anything more than just a little out of sorts, let alone nervous or anxious about a girl. Hell, even the time he dated Valerie, he wasn't nervous, but calm. "Now that's a surprise. I guess the dork really likes you then. So, you guys are having a first date sometime soon, right? Are _you_ nervous at all?" Melanie bit her lip and looked down at the desk. She nodded her head and sighed.

"You don't even know how nervous I am! I wish you were here to help me get ready. We're going on our date tomorrow." They were going to go to a nearby zoo, the Dallas/Fort Worth Zoo. They were planning on spending the day there, as it was about an hour drive there. "We're going to this zoo, and since neither of us have cars, Kevin's got a friend that doesn't live too far away from there that is willing to pick us up and take us there and he can go home until we call him up."

"Sounds _fun_, I would love to go to a zoo, but Gibby hasn't taken me yet." Gibby chuckled sheepishly as his girlfriend eyed him, he would have to take that and make a mental note of it. "So, I presume Freddie saw my boyfriend on the webshow…"

"He was surprised, I don't think you've told him or Carly yet, have you?" Sam shook her head and let out a slow sigh, she wasn't sure how they would have reacted to her dating Gibby, of all people. "Well, you might have some explaining to do with them later on, but I don't know that he's really bothered by it, just surprised."

"Yeah, it makes sense that he would be."

"By the way, I've been wondering about this. What exactly did you say to Freddie on iCarly when you motioned me out of the room?" She knew her sister well enough to know when Sam wanted to talk about her to someone else. It wasn't something that she liked too much, but she didn't complain too often. "It seemed important enough for you to push me out." Melanie chuckled and Sam heaved a defeated sigh.

"You got me. I was talking to him about you." Melanie raised her eyebrow as Sam sat next to Gibby and started tracing small circles on his leg, sending shivers up past his thigh. Gibby lifted his eyebrows as Sam smiled sweetly at him, then abruptly went back to Melanie. "He told me he liked you, so I gave him some helpful advice, that's all." Melanie narrowed her eyes suspiciously and moved to her computer chair, placing her feet up on the table.

"Sam…What did you say to him?" Knowing how protective and careful Sam was, she probably scared the hell out of Freddie somehow. Melanie didn't approve too much of the usual 'scare-tactics' that both her sister and Alison believed in, but the two meant well and she understood that. "Please tell me you didn't threaten him." Sam shifted nervously and Melanie spun around in her chair and stood up. She walked into the main room and ran her finger carefully along the dusty top of her television. Her face scrunched in disgust and she carefully took a rag to dust off the top. "Damn how quick these things get dusty…"

"Dusting off your television again? Didn't you just clean up your dorm last week?"

"Yeah, it's amazing how quickly things dirty up again."

"True. I know Freddie's mom would probably clean it up every day if she had the opportunity." Melanie laughed and Sam smiled. Freddie had told her about his mom, and in truth, she wanted to meet the woman.

"How do you think his mother would react to me?"

"Probably like you, unlike me." Melanie smirked teasingly and Sam narrowed her eyes, she knew her sister was probably mocking her right about now, but no matter. "At least Gibby's parents like me."

"Yeah, true, I just hope his mom likes me. That is, if we ever meet and she doesn't think I'm a threat." Sam laughed and shook her head. Melanie wasn't in danger of that, Marissa was doing extremely well in turning herself around, she was becoming less obsessive and less protective. Hell, she was actually starting to appreciate Sam to a point. After all, Sam was the one helping her to adjust. She smirked and leaned back against the couch. Who knows, they could even be family one day.

"She'll like you, trust me. You're the greatest person I know." Melanie smiled and her cheeks turned a pink tent. "You're good for Freddie, just as Gibby is good for me. You know how I am, there aren't many that can calm me down and take me on. Lord knows Freddie never could, just making me angrier…" Melanie slowly nodded as Sam sighed softly as Gibby draped his arm around her shoulder. She leaned her head against his shoulder and closed her eyes. "Yeah I told Freddie not to do anything to hurt you. You're my sister, what do you expect?" Melanie closed her eyes and sat in the living room chair, tilting her head back and opening her eyes to gaze at the ceiling.

"I wouldn't expect any less from you." Sam grinned and looked over at the doorway entering the kitchen, she saw Jessica working with her mother, dinner would be done pretty soon. Shane was at his own house for dinner. Thinking back to that monster that Jessica described to her, she could have sworn she heard that name somewhere recently. Her brow furrowed and she took her gaze away from her cousin.

"Hey Mel, that baseball team that Freddie's on, you said their pitcher was the one in his tryouts, right?"

"Yeah, what about the guy?"

"What was his full name?" Melanie frowned and tapped her chin in thought, trying to recall the name. The guy tended to stay away from Freddie, although willing to do anything to get him off the team. There was just something about Freddie that he did not like.

"Um, Jerry Elliot, I think. Why?" Sam paled and nearly let the phone slip through her hand. Gibby raised his eyebrow in concern as she shook her head, wondering if he was the same Jerry that knew Jessica.

"Do you know if he talks about his family at all?"

"I think his grandmother was killed…that might explain why he hates the world so much." Melanie chuckled and Sam's stomach began churning. Why was Jerry at Chestnut? Was it coincidence? Probably, especially if his father was just trying to teach him yet another lesson or got tired of him. "I do feel bad for him in that respect though…" It was a sorry thing that his father didn't seem to offer the sympathy he needed, especially considering he did seem close to him.

"Don't feel bad for him!" Her voice was quick and snappy, and she was immediately apologetic for how she snapped at her sister. Melanie didn't know. Jessica looked out from the kitchen worriedly and Sam lifted her hand up nervously. Sam cleared her throat and quickly walked into the next room. Gibby knew when that happened, not to follow her, because she probably wanted privacy. "I'm sorry for snapping Mel, but Jerry is a bad person…"

"Oh I know he's not nice, but-"

"It's more than just not nice." Melanie frowned and look at her oak door, she had it decorated with various art designs. She loved drawing. "Jerry has known our cousin before, and he blames her for his grandma's death, from what I know…" Melanie frowned as Sam leaned against the wall of the guest bedroom. "He's an angry, violent person who's had it out for Jessica. She's hurt, Mel…"

"He hurt Jessica?" She was in shock, not believing that someone would harm her favorite cousin. How dare he! "That isn't right, she didn't do anything to deserve him hurting her. When was this? When she was in that prison?"

"Yeah…thank god they changed that place to house only one gender." Melanie groaned and tightened her hands up. She'd like to see someone sock it to him for once. "He used to hit her all the time."

"I can't believe someone would do that." Her voice was rising, which to Sam was never a good thing. She frowned and pushed herself from the wall, issuing a warning.

"I know what you're thinking, and whatever you do, _do not_ confront him about it! I don't know what he's like now, and I don't want him to do anything to you. Got that? You're not as tough as me, sis…"

"You know I can handle myself and hold my own." True as it was, she still didn't want her sister confronting a possibly dangerous man. Judging by what they told her about Freddie's tryouts, he was still a very angry person.

"Yeah, I know, but still _don't_ confront him. Please." Melanie closed her eyes and sighed. She understood Sam's warning and didn't like that she couldn't defend her family, but when Sam said for her not to do something, there was pretty good reason for her to say that.

"Fine, I won't confront him. I just…I don't like knowing that he hurt someone that I cared about."

"Me either, but this is out of our hands, especially since he's not doing anything. However, be careful, because he did threaten Jessica when he got out, and she wasn't the only one…" Melanie narrowed her eyes and her vocal tone grew tense and firm as she breathed out a slow breath.

"Who else did he threaten?"

"Uh…" Sam glanced away nervously as Melanie tapped her fingers on the wall next to her.

"Sam. _What else_ am I missing here?" Sam rolled her eyes and started to grab a sheet of paper. Melanie knew her tricks, though, so she set it back down and shrugged.

"I was with Jessica when his grandma died, so he's kind of pissed with 'Jackie' too." Melanie's color drained and her body tensed.

"Sam!"

"What? I didn't do anything!"

"You could have told me about him! Hello, I'm your _twin sister_, I kind of _look_ like you?"

"Yeah, well has he ever talked to you or anything?" Melanie walked over to her dorm window and opened the blinds up to look out on the campus. She was very `1frightened about the thought that he was around, but he just wasn't doing anything to her.

"No, not once has he even glanced my way, I think I'm safe."

"Yeah, just let me know if he ever says anything. Okay?"

"Yeah, I'll do that. Anyway, I need to meet the girls, we're going shopping."

"All right." Sam looked out of the room to see Jessica and Gibby talking. The scent of the food coming from the kitchen played with her nostrils. She sniffed and let out a slow sigh. "I think dinner's done anyway. It's good talking to you sis, tell me how your date with Freddie goes!"

"I will."

"Yeah, and don't leave out any details. _Any_ details." Melanie laughed and smiled, she really did love her sister's personality.

"You know I'll let you know how it goes."

"You better." Sam laughed and walked out of the bedroom. "I love you, sis."

"You too, talk to you later." The girls hung up their phones and went on with their day, though leaving Jerry in the back of their minds. Was he dangerous in any way now? Maybe, maybe not, either way he seemed like he wasn't paying any mind to any sort of notion to revenge, so they didn't see any real reason to bother with him.

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Hope you enjoyed the conversation between the two, and now we know what Jerry's all about...leave a review and eagerly await the next chapter XD


	17. Wasting Time

Boarded

Disclaimer: Don't own iCarly, so don't get any ideas. I'm in the legal stuff too!

A/N: Enjoy.

* * *

Chapter 17 (Wasting Time)

Michael sat in his office, mulling over the medicine on his desk. He'd had a close call not that long ago, but he was okay. Fortunately, the doctor really helped him out. Jonah was at school afterwards working on a club's building project. He was very proud of his son and thought he was growing up to be a great young man. He hoped Jonah would have a great life and be a great father someday, perhaps a greater father than he was.

His body shook as he firmly clutched the bottle of pills in his left hand. Tears dripped down his face. He was certain his heart could give out at any minute, either that, or the aneurism in his brain. He was fearing that he was developing symptoms, that he may not have long for this world. He would pray every day that he would live to see his son graduate from high school, go to college and marry a beautiful woman and have a wonderful life with her. But as every day passed, he felt he had less time. All he wanted was to be a father to his son again, to see his son love him again.

His head began pounding and he placed his hands to his head, the pounding sound remained as sweat beads formed at his forehead. He moaned as the pounding continued. "Make it stop. Please. Make it stop." He'd become so tired lately, and when this aneurysm had been discovered, he couldn't help but to shut down. He felt guilty for doing so when his wife developed cancer. "I should have been there for my son…"

The pounding wouldn't stop, only becoming more furious. He moaned and his speech was slurred. What had he been doing? What had he been concentrating on? Jonah was all he had in this world, all he had to hold on to, to know that he was still alive and to know that things would be okay. He'd become so depressed when his son stopped spending time with him, so depressed when his son stopped sharing his thoughts. "Help me somebody. Make the pounding stop." He swore he heard someone saying his name, but he thought it just his mind playing tricks on him. He shook his head and his body began to sweat.

"Make the pounding end." Suddenly it stopped, all noise ended and his eyes shot open. What had just happened? The pounding hadn't come from his head?

"Mr. Brown!" The door opened and Valerie rushed in, she'd been concerned about him and came over to visit him while Jonah worked on the project. She had a wet rag in her right and rushed over to him, wrapping her arm around his back and dabbing the rag on his face. "Mr. Brown it's okay, you're fine. Just lean back and relax, take a deep breath, okay?" Her voice was so soft, so pleasant. It pulled him into a place of safety, of security. He sighed and leaned back in his chair as she rubbed his face and forehead with the rag.

"Valerie? Aren't you at school helping Jonah?"

"I was worried about you. Besides, all the girls decided to take a break while the boys worked with their tools. That's how guys are, right?" Michael laughed lightly and closed his eyes, his cheekbones rising half an inch. Valerie smiled at him as he took the rag and held it to his forehead, sighing lightly.

"So what are you doing here? I mean…why worry about an old man like me?" Valerie fidgeted and tapped her fingers gently on the desk. She was nervous and didn't want him to be mad at her. She wasn't snooping around or anything, but how would it seem to him. "You know I don't usually let people in my office, right?"

"Yeah, but you see…" She sighed lightly as he opened his right eye. She bit her lip and looked down at the bottle of pills on the desk. "If I'm honest with you, you're not going to be mad at me, will you?"

"I don't see why I should be upset at you over anything. What's the problem?"

"Well the other day, Jonah and I came home and you remember…the house was a mess?" He knew what they were talking about, Jonah was asking him why he left the place in such a hurry. He hadn't the guts to tell his son what was going on. Valerie took a deep breath and closed her eyes. "Well I was cleaning up some bits of a plate that was in the office." Michael frowned and sat up straight, opening his eyes. He saw where this was going and was feverishly trying to think of a way to soothe her possibly anxious mind. She closed her eyes and lowered her arms, the guilt eating her inside. "I saw your medical papers, because I saw all the bottles of pills and I didn't know what was going on. I saw the papers on your desk and so yeah, I was worried…"

"So then, you know." Valerie nodded tearfully as Michael lowered the rag into his lap and frowned. She wiped her eyes and he gave her a comforting smile. "Don't be upset, it was just curiosity. Anyone else would probably have done the same thing."

"I know, but I'm not a snoop like that, and I didn't have any business going through your things." He put his hand up calmly and shook his head, he understood where she was coming from and really would prefer her to be calmer. Especially with his heart condition. She stared at him a second and frowned, realizing that her excitement was probably just making things harder on him. "I'm sorry, I don't mean to be so jumpy. It's just…I'm so scared for you, scared for Jonah…"

"I know." He leaned his office chair back and shut his eyes tightly. He moaned softly and opened his eyes. "There's a chance Jonah may have to deal with the same heart problems I have." Valerie relaxed herself and looked him in the eyes carefully.

"So why don't you talk to him? Why don't you tell him about this?"

"You think I want him to know he might lose another parent? He still hasn't forgiven me for his mother…"

"But that wasn't your fault!"

"He doesn't see it like that…" Valerie pressed her lips together as Michael moved his eyes downward. "He will probably never see it like that."

"Not if you talk to him. Not if you tell him. Don't you remember the pinecones? He remembers the pinecones…" Michael lifted his eyes up and smiled at the age old memory. How could he ever forget? Those were some of the best days of his life, before he got sick. "You two need each other so desperately, you don't even _know_ how badly you need each other!"

"I appreciate your concern, but unfortunately, I don't know if Jonah will ever see me as the man he used to adore." Valerie bowed her head slightly and pushed herself from the desk, tired of leaning on it.

"Maybe he won't ever see you as the same man…" Michael frowned as Valerie walked around him a bit, then turned to face him. "But he would still see you somehow. You're still his father and he's still your son, and if I know something about families…a child and their parent need each other, especially if they're all they have. Why spend the last few years of your life never connecting again, never really being together like a father and son, when you could somehow bond together again and have a life."

"I…"

"I don't mean to be harsh, but it's the truth that you don't have forever." Valerie met his gaze and her eyes filled with tears for both father and for son. She wished nothing more than for the two to be together again. "Both that aneurysm and that heart failure are a ticking time bomb…do you want to spend the rest of your life, not knowing when it could hit you, never really _talking_ to your son? Do you think he _honestly_ wants to lose you too? It's not just you that's hurting, he's hurting too. He _needs_ his father and you _need_ him. Is it going to take that aneurysm to rupture before you actually _do_ talk to him?"

"I…" She glared at him through the tears dripping down her cheeks. Her chest heaved out and she was starting to feel guilty for even becoming angry. She was just so frustrated that both Jonah and Michael were so boarded up from each other. What _would_ it take to get them to talk? Michael slowly smiled and closed his eyes, he could see the frustration. "I think Jonah made a good choice in you, Valerie. I always have." Valerie blinked and moved herself back somewhat, her cheeks beginning to show a tint of red.

"T-Thank you…I, I'm sorry for raising my voice at you."

"No, it's okay. You're right. I'm just being stupid, maybe even a bit selfish." Valerie sniffed and wiped her eyes. "I think if my son keeps you, he'll definitely be a lucky man. I'll try to talk to him…I don't know how I'm going to, but I will."

"That's good." Valerie closed her eyes and sighed, then opened them as an idea came to her. "Oh right, I have something for you!" Michael raised his eyebrow as Valerie ran out of the office and returned seconds later, carrying the perfect pinecone that she and Jonah had found. She set it on his desk and smiled. "Jonah found this the other day, it's how I know about the hobby you two had. I went back to find it and thought you might like it."

"Thank you. It has been a long time." Valerie smiled at him and looked at the clock, realizing that break time for the girls was about over. She chuckled nervously and looked at Michael, who merely waved at her. "You have to go?"

"Yeah, break is over, but I'm really glad we had this talk and glad that you're okay." He closed his eyes and smiled at her kindly.

"Again, thank you for your concern. Don't be late getting back to the club, we don't want Jonah worrying too much about you." Valerie laughed nervously and nodded her head. Jonah would probably be too focused on the woodwork to really notice her as being a few minutes late, now if it was twenty minutes late, he'd notice that. "I'm glad we had this talk too. Thank you." Valerie smiled and started to walk away. "Have a good day."

"You too." He smiled as she closed the office door behind her. He turned to look at the pinecone on his desk and smiled, feeling waves of nostalgia hitting him. He closed his eyes and recalled the vivid memory of picking out pinecones with his son. Lately those were the dreams that constantly hit him. He never understood it, but they were always the calmest memory, where he would go back to whenever he closed his eyes. Truly peaceful, his heaven. Perhaps he could think of a way to get through to Jonah.

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Sorry it's taken me so long on here, I just couldn't think what to do next, and now I got my idea. I hope you've enjoyed this chapter!


	18. Matters of the Heart

Boarded

Disclaimer: Don't own iCarly, so don't get any ideas. I'm in the legal stuff too!

A/N: Enjoy.

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Chapter 18 (Matters of the Heart)

Jonah walked home in a bit of a daze, having spoken with Valerie, she'd told him that he really needed to talk to his father. He wasn't sure why she was showing such a concern lately, and when asked, she said it wasn't her place to say. He didn't want to have to deal with his father and was sure his father didn't want to bother with him at the moment.

He pushed his hands into his pockets and sighed softly as he stared down onto the sidewalk near his mailbox. He stopped moving and was astonished to see stalks of a pinecone strewn about. They led away in a straight line, the pieces strung out further apart, rather than close, covering some distance. He decided to follow and see where they led, curious as to the fate of this ominous pinecone. After nearly five minutes of walking, the stalks were no more, but Jonah could see easily where they had pointed. He looked ahead and his heart quivered in his chest as a wave of memories hit him. It was the park where he and his dad often collected pinecones.

"Maybe I have a little time…" He tugged lightly on his smooth leather jacket and made his way into the park. His eyes nearly went misty as he surveyed the park's hills and trails. Nostalgia flooded his heart as he took a few steps forward. He felt guilty for having not come to this park in the last few years, though it was always right there.

"Feels good to be here, doesn't it, Son?" Jonah's eyes widened and he quickly turned around, his father was leaning up against a nearby park tree. He was wearing an old Fed-ex coat over a blue t-shirt and a pair of black denim jeans. In his right hand was a large trash bag. Michael smiled lightly and walked to him, reaching into the bag and pulling out the perfect pinecone that Jonah and Valerie found the other day. "I thought you might like this. Your girlfriend brought it to me, said you were pretty happy to find this." Jonah stared at the pinecone for a minute and slowly took it in his hands. He was becoming a bit nervous and just a little confused. Why was his father here, offering up a pinecone?

"Yeah, it pulled me away from this world for a minute." His voice was quiet and unwavering, he was trying not to give in. He didn't know just what to say to his father anymore. His eyes drifted up and down the cone, almost as though he were counting the stalks on it. "We live in separate worlds, Dad. You have your world and I have mine, I like it that way." Michael closed his eyes and chuckled as he placed his hand on his son's shoulder.

"That isn't what your lady tells me." He opened his eyes and held his smirk as his son's face began to glow red. Again his mind was pulled back to wondering what Valerie and his father had talked about. "By the way son, she's a good catch, you should consider keeping her."

"Yeah, I plan on that." Jonah smiled as he casually placed the treasure back into the trash bag. His heart was leaping, wanting more, he looked up into hisfather's eyes. "So, are we going hunting or what?"

"I thought you'd never ask." He surveyed the park with his eyes, trying to find the perfect trail to walk along. In this park, there were several different trails with very different views. One trail had a marvelous view of the lake where the sun glinted off the ripples and ducks swam free of any visitors, due to the steep incline being the only access to the lake, causing the adults to keep their children back from that area. That particular trail was also covered with the most pines. "How about an old favorite of ours? We'll start out on that one there…" He pointed to the trail and Jonah's heart started to flood with joy, but he was still being cautious. He didn't know if his dad was going to all of a sudden decide he didn't want to do this or not.

"Okay, I'm up for that." Still trying to not act excited, he casually followed his father onto the trail. Michael saw through his son's façade, having seen the thrill flourish in his eyes when he brought out the pinecone. "So, what are we going to do with the pinecones?"

"I was thinking perhaps we could decorate them like we used to when you were a kid." Jonah's eyes drifted down as Michael bent over and lifted up a skinny cone with all the stalks pressed against each other. "Ah, first cone of the day Jonah, what do you think?" Jonah lifted his eyes back up and he reached for the cone. Humming lightly, he ran his thumb along the outside ridges, feeling every little bump he could.

"Maybe we could see if it has any seeds developed in it yet, we could maybe plant it and grow a tree."

"Ah, not a bad idea. Throw it in here." Michael held the bag open and Jonah let the cone roll into it. As he watched the cone land softly on the bottom of the bag, his brain flooded with the memories of his childhood and he allowed his nose to be played with by the pleasant smell of the pines. "Now remember, we can't take every cone."

"Right." There were some cones that were broken, or had missing stalks and they couldn't do anything with them, so they would have to put it back on the ground. Any other cones they had, they wanted to make sure they were careful with it. Michael always seemed to hold the bag, he was the one most careful when holding it. That was coupled by the fact that Jonah liked to be the one to pick up the cones and inspect them. As they walked down the trail, Jonah eyed the pathway littered with pine needles and smiled as he closed his eyes and recalled playing in a pile as a boy. Michael slowly exhaled and looked up at the trees.

"Sure brings back memories, doesn't it?" Head read up on congestive heart failure, as his doctor recommended he learn everything about the disease. He found there were four stages of dying and took the list to his doctor, who had begun to explain them in depth, along with a system of classes. Class 1 was the lightest, no limitation on the physical activity, as exercise didn't cause fatigue, shortness of breath, or palpitations of the heart.

"Yeah it does." Jonah reached down and lifted up a small cone, it was slightly open, but had several missing stalks. He sighed and shook his head as he set it back on the ground. Michael rubbed his chest lightly and looked straight ahead. Class 2, a slight limitation of physical activity, patients are comfortable at rest but ordinary activity can cause fatigue, shortness of breath, palpitations, or even angina. "Just found a no-go."

"Damn, better luck next time."

"Yeah." They walked on to a point where the trail was littered with cones. There was a bench to sit on, so Michael took a seat while Jonah went to inspect the cones. Class 3, a marked limitation on physical activity. Patients may be comfortable at rest, but less than ordinary activity will lead to symptoms. Jonah looked over at his father and raised his eyebrows, surprised to see that his dad wasn't out collecting cones at the same time. "You're just going to sit there?"

"Well…no, I just thought I'd sit down for a second. Take a breather." Jonah pressed his lips together and shrugged as he turned to the cones. Michael felt a sudden twinge of guilt hit his heart and he stood up to go help Jonah collect the cones. "On second thought, who needs to take a break? It's such a beautiful day…"

"Yeah dad." Jonah smiled as Michael picked up a fully ripe, egg shaped cone. He inspected it and found all the stalks to be perfectly intact.

"Got one." Jonah picked up another cone and saw that the stalks were flowing up and out, similar to a water fountain. He raised it in the air a bit and grinned.

"Here's another, pops." The two carefully placed the cones in the bag and continued to collect. Dare Jonah say, he was actually having fun laughing with his father again. It almost made him feel bad for being so disconnected from him over the years. Class 4, the inability to carry out any physical activity without discomfort, symptoms of CHF are present even at rest and with any activity at all, increased discomfort is often experienced. "How are we on the bag?" Michael looked at the bag, which was currently sitting on the ground. It was half full.

"We're at the halfway point. Perhaps we can find some more." Within a good twenty minutes, the bag was two thirds of the way full. Michael hoisted it over his shoulder and grunted lightly with the strenuous load. Jonah lifted his eyebrows and pocketed his hands, he was beginning to wonder if he needed to carry the bag.

Michael narrowed his eyes as beads of sweat started to form at his forehead, he was becoming very tired, but he would be okay. His mind trailed back to the class systems explained by his doctor, he was sure the doctor said he was either in the second or third class. As for the stages, they were a bit more pronounced. Stage one led to displaying no symptoms of the disease, though they might feel more tired than usual, it was never enough to cause alarm.

"Are you sure you're all right, dad?"

"I'm fine Jonah." Stage two, over time there's pronounced fatigue during physical activity. Heart palpitations might be experienced even during limited exercise, while resting could cause the symptoms to lesson or go away. Michael breathed out and closed his eyes, smiling lightly at Jonah who continued watching him warily. He was _not_ letting some stupid disease stop him from spending time with his own son.

"If you say so." Stage three, the person may be fine while at rest, but some everyday tasks could lead to tiredness and shortness of breath. It was at this point that physical activity and exercise has become severely limited. Then there was the final stages, the day to day life is severely affected and any form of activity will lead to tiredness and put additional strain on the heart. Even at rest, in this stage, there are symptoms that signal the heart's inability to function properly, in addition to difficulty breathing. It was this stage that patients were hospitalized frequently and were the closest to dying. Which stage had the doctor said he was in?

The two made their way to the incline leading down to the lake and they stopped to look it over. It truly was a beautiful view and the sun was not skipping the lake today. "Look at those ducks, Jonah." Jonah looked down at the white and brown ducks swimming around towards the bottom and laughed.

"Hey dad, remember when I was seven and I tried to go and play with the ducks?" Michael nodded and a tear came to his eye, the memory was as clear as this day was. Despite his father's warning, Jonah had tried to go down the hill and was starting to trip. Michael had to run down and grab hold of a tree, then grab Jonah's arm before he fell. Such a task, he couldn't do anymore. It depressed him greatly. "We swore not to tell mom, but somehow she knew."

"Yeah, somehow she did. We got the scolding of a lifetime. Your girlfriend is just like her, you know."

"In some ways, yeah." Jonah chuckled and thought about how Valerie was always telling him what not to say to people. She thought he'd acted a bit short with Sam and Carly when Freddie left, and had scolded him for his harshness towards them. "She's making me into a better person…dear lord, she is like mom." The two men laughed and Jonah looked up at his father. "Dad, why did you shut down when mom was going through the cancer? Ever since then…you've never been the same."

"It's hard, sometimes. You know I've never been prouder of you, seeing you grow into a man. Sometimes I wish we spent more time, but…we've grown apart, I don't think your mom would like that, would she?"

"No, Valerie doesn't seem to like it much either. She's always asking about you."

"Again, she's a good woman." Jonah slowly nodded his head as Michael placed his arm around Jonah's shoulder. They were grateful for this day, for this moment. Michael lifted the bag and smiled as he looked to his son. "What do you say we head back and start working on these?"

"Yeah, let's do that." They could talk some more when they got home. "But I'm carrying the bag this time." Michael laughed as Jonah grabbed the bag and placed it over his shoulder, he was not letting his dad carry it when he saw his father seeming so strained by the bag.

When they made it to the front yard, that was when Michael's heart finally started cracking under the strain. He placed his hand on his chest and his free hand on the mailbox. Jonah stopped and looked over to see his father breathing heavily, his eyes widened and he turned fully. "Dad?"

"I'm fine Jonah, just go inside…" Michael was sweating, his body shaking. Jonah had taken a medical class and he knew the signs of a heart attack. He dropped the bag as his father began to fall, both landing on the soft grass at the same time.

"Shit! Dad!" Jonah ran over to his father and pulled out his phone, calling 911. "Help! My father just had a heart attack." He put the operator on speaker and started the process of CPR, making sure his dad was okay. He was unconscious. Tears flooded Jonah's eyes as he began the chest compressions, listening to the operator's every word, trying to keep him calm as the ambulance was on its way. "Hang in there, dad! Stay with me!"

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Pinecones were what my father and I used to collect when I was younger. Great pastime.


	19. Grieving

Boarded

A/N: This chapter is written just a bit differently than the other chapters, hope you'll like this.

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Chapter 19 (Grieving)

How could he do this? After all they'd been through, after all they'd done together, how could he do this to him? Jonah counted off every chest compression loudly and with force, trying to keep his father's heart going. He was sweating from exhaustion, where was that damn ambulance? Panic was flooding his veins, his nerves were shot, and he wasn't even sure how long it had been since the heart attack. The pine cones had since rolled out of the bag and seemed to frame the two. It felt like hours had taken place, but it couldn't have been that long.

People were shouting all around and an ear splitting sound was coming from behind, but to him, his ears were deaf to it. Sweat poured down his body and a man placed their hand on his shoulder. Fear shot through him in an instant and he glared violently at the man. After a second, he realized the man was a professional and allowed him to care for his father. He watched quietly, his hands shaking violently, his stomach twisting into knots, his throat burning, as the men worked to resuscitate Michael. He was supposed to go to college this summer, his father couldn't die on him.

How could this be happening to him? How could his father be lying there, possibly dying? All time around him ceased to flow, the wind would no longer blow through his hair. He couldn't breathe, he needed air. Jonah stumbled to the side as the paramedics placed a breathing mask over Michael's face. After a minute, they managed to bring him back. One of the paramedics tried to talk to him, but he continued to stare at his father, waving his hand through the air dismissively.

He was led into the back of the ambulance with his father, but he wasn't sure how he got there. If his legs moved, if he was carried in there, he didn't know. All he could do was stare at the paramedics trying to stabilize Michael's raging heart. He couldn't be there, this wasn't happening, he was not on an ambulance and his father did not just have a heart attack. That was it, that had to be it. He was dreaming. He would wake up from this hellish nightmare and his father would be there in his office waiting to decorate some pinecones.

Jonah's eyes widened and he slowly looked out the back windows of the ambulance. _The pinecones_, they were still lying in the yard. He slowly shook his head, his eyes remaining on the tinted glass. The paramedic was speaking to him again. He turned his head and stared blankly at the moving lips. No sound was coming out. Had he lost his hearing? He could understand what the man was talking about, but he didn't want to answer, he didn't know how to answer. He didn't know anything about his father's heart condition. _He has a heart condition?_

It was not long before Jonah found himself racing into the ICU with the paramedics, they were nice enough to let him be there. They wouldn't let him through the door though, he had to stare in through the window as Michael's main doctor took care of him with the nurses and some other doctors. Again, there was no sound, there was no fury of voices wafting over everything. _Just silence. Pure silence._ His silence was soon interrupted when he heard a door slam open and his name called out. He felt a small tinge of joy lift in his heart as he saw his beloved Valerie running for him. He didn't remember calling her, he didn't know how she knew to come to the hospital, but he was glad that she was there. At least somebody would be there for him.

He felt her take his arm and saw the tears running down her cheeks. He wanted to tell her it would be okay, he wanted to tell her this was not happening, but he couldn't. Nor could he contain the nauseating feeling growing inside of him like a hurricane.

It was not long before the doctor came out and began to speak to him, recognizing Jonah as Michael's son. He was asking all sorts of questions, such as what they had been doing before the heart attack. Confusion clouded his mind, he felt there was something that he should know, and eventually, he cracked. Now he was demanding answers, but he remained silent. His mind was spinning, his stomach was whirling, and his heart was racing. Eventually, the doctor told him what the problem was, told him exactly what his father had. Jonah's eyes widened and his entire world stopped. _Congestive Heart Failure? Brain Aneurysm_?He couldn't believe it, the news was too shocking for him to bear. How had his father never told him this? Why had he gone so long without mention? Was this the reason he had shut down? The doctor wanted to run tests on Jonah, to see if he had any problems at all. Jonah agreed to do this with only a brief nod, his world still coming to a stop, time still slowing down, leaving him still unaware of the things that were happening around him.

Had he done this to his father? Had he forced too much strain on the man's ailing heart? Was it his fault that Michael was lying there? His hands shook and his jaw quivered as he followed the doctor to a cold room. Valerie never once left his side, holding his hand the entire way and letting the tears stream down her cheeks. He squeezed her hand tightly, the fear was back. What if his father died? What would happen to him? What would happen to Valerie? Would he still be with her? He would do everything in his power to be with her, he loved her.

He followed the doctor's every order, shivering when instructed to remove his shirt. The tabs the doctor put on him were cold to his slightly hairy chest, it was the hair that caused him to fear the pain of those tabs being pulled off. He closed his eyes as the doctor continued a series of tests to determine if Jonah had anything to worry about. So far, his heart seemed okay, and his brain didn't show any signs of an aneurysm. As far as the doctor was concerned, Jonah could live a long healthy life, this was where he could feel relieved, that maybe he wouldn't have his dad's issues.

When the tests were over, Jonah found Valerie's family in the waiting room. Each of them had tears in their eyes, grieving over Michael. Jonah's tears were hidden inside, he refused to show them. He tightened his hands and breathed in. How could his father do this to him? How could his father not tell him about these problems? It was enough to make Jonah desire to hit something. He was angry, angry that his father could hide something so significant from him. He'd already lost his mother, now he had to lose his father? No! He just _couldn't_ accept that! If his father wasn't a sick man, he would shake the guy up, smack some sense into him.

Jonah's stomach twisted again, he didn't mean those words. He'd said them out loud and everybody was staring at him. It was Valerie's father who rose up, his face stoic and calm. He placed his hand on Jonah's shoulder and told him things would be okay. Valerie squeezed his hand as her sisters each hugged him one by one. Viola even offered him any help whatsoever. He knew he didn't deserve their kindness, he didn't want to impose upon them in any way.

Confusion hit him again, he never understood his father, never understood until now why his father had been so discreet, so obscure. Was he just trying not to worry Jonah? Did he not want to scare his son? All Michael wanted was the best for him, and every time he tried, they clashed.

Alone again, Jonah soon found himself in his house, the empty house. He'd collected up the Pinecones, brought in the bag, and it was sitting in an empty corner. He fell. In the center of the living room, he fell onto his knees, and he sobbed. He told Valerie to go home, and after nearly an hour of refusing, she finally gave in after demanding him call her if anything happened. No. He didn't want to worry her.

Staring at the bag of pinecones, with one or two falling out onto the floor, he couldn't help but to cry harder. He remembered all that he'd done with his father, just how truly deep their bond had been. If his father died, then Jonah would be without the options. He slowly crept over to a fallen pinecone and picked it up, carrying it gingerly. It was that perfect pinecone, so full, so ripe.

On the table were several different paint cans, clearly purchased that day by his father. He smiled through his tears, his pain holding a neutral position as he walked to the table. Red, gold, blue, green and silver, his father's five favorite colors. Black was his favorite, though, and the black bucket was clearly present. His lips curled upwards more at the corners as he took their tweezers and started to dip the pinecone into the gold paint first. It would be a delicate process, and it would last all day, but he would have the thing decorated soon enough.

Hours went by, and the pinecone was finished. One it were multicolored stripes, beginning at the top was gold, and then red, blue, green, and finally silver sat on the very bottom. The points on the ends of each stalk were dotted and circled with black paint, to represent Jonah. He had even made an embroidered sash that said just what he thought of his father. It was a long, painful process that had surfaced many memories for him, so many that he'd thought were long gone.

Valerie had called him numerous times, checking on him every thirty minutes or so, she didn't want him to be without her, but he still insisted every time that he be left alone.

His mind still was not a full part of this world. He'd talked to Freddie, he'd heard from Valerie, and hell, even Sam had called him up. Everyone was concerned for him, but he kept up the façade. He didn't like that anyone at all had been worried about him.

He applied for a job, assistant manager at an automobile shop. They found him suitable for the job, so they hired him. He'd been slightly happy, but wondered if his father would have been proud. The doctor said his father still hadn't woken, and five days passed. So far, the hospital was doing well to stabilize Michael, to keep him from slipping away. It was every night, when he wasn't working on school and he wasn't working, that he would sit in the chair beside his father's bed and talk to him. Valerie would often be there and they would pray.

Their relationship had become strained the first couple of days, because of his jarred emotions, but in the latter days, they had become stronger and more understanding of each other. Their hearts were locked together with no way to tear them apart.

He wasn't feeling so lonely with her around, he felt like maybe he could make it, but he was still deathly pale whenever the thought of his father's life ending came to mind. He couldn't let that happen, it just wouldn't be right.

In total, a full week had gone by since the heart attack, and all Jonah could do was pray that arduous beeping sound didn't turn into a monotonous tone. It was a Sunday morning, when Jonah decided not to attend church with Valerie, that he was asleep in his father's hospital room, the beeping oddly lulling him into a deep sleep, when his father's hand moved. Michael moaned and turned his head, slowly opening his eyes. He had something rough in his hand, something rigid, and it was poking him, disturbing him. His vision was blurry, too blurry. He blinked three times and his vision began to clear. It was then that he noticed his son asleep by his bed. He smiled and looked at his right hand. It was a multicolored pinecone, painted in his five favorite colors. On it was a sash with four words written on it, four words that made a tear come to his eye and joy begin to flood his ailing heart. _"I love you, Dad."_

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Hope you enjoyed the chapter!


	20. Reconnecting

Boarded

A/N:

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Chapter 20 (Reconnecting)

Jonah slowly opened his eyes and lifted his head up, he was tired and he had a headache that was killing him. Valerie's church service should be ending soon and then he'd have to get ready for work in a couple of hours. He lifted his head up and saw his father examining the pinecone. It took him a second, but realization and wonder soon hit him that his father was awake! "Dad?" Michael looked over as Jonah shot up and dashed to the bedside. Michael smiled lightly as his son gripped the sides of the bed.

"You decorated this pinecone?" Jonah nodded and felt the pride inside of him. He actually wanted to try and make the paint stripes spiral down the pinecone, but was not sure how to do that. "It's beautiful. You should do things like this with your children one day."

"I will, Dad." He didn't know what to say to his father. A mix of emotions were surging through him right now. Relief and joy, that his father was alive and well, sadness that his dad had two debilitating conditions, and even nervousness about asking him anything about the conditions. "So…why didn't you tell me, Dad?" Michael looked up confused, his eyebrows rising upwards as Jonah pocketed his hands and bowed his head. "About your congestive heart failure and the aneurysm."

"Oh…" Michael's lips dipped down and he moved his head to the side. He knew it was coming, but he didn't think it would be so soon. "I didn't want to scare you, and I didn't think you would actually care to sit down and talk."

"What? I would have…" He paused a minute as his father looked at him inquisitively. There was a chance that he probably wouldn't have bothered to talk to him about anything, that he would have brushed his dad aside. The guilt stung him like several wasps sticking him. "I…I'm sorry I didn't give you more time. I wasn't a good son, was I?"

"Oh, no, you were the perfect son, I couldn't ask for another!" Jonah smiled and his face became slightly red tinted. Michael lifted his hand up and took his son's hand. "I know I've become distant when this disease was found out, and it was wrong of me, but still, I just shut down…" Jonah sniffed as a tear started to sting his eyes. Michael lowered his hand and stared with silence at the pinecone. "It wasn't till we searched for those cones that I really knew what I was missing out. I'm sorry Jonah, I really am. When your mother died, I wanted to be close to you, you were all I had left." Jonah closed his eyes and gave his father a hug, showing a sign of affection that he'd not often shown to his father. Michael gasped softly and smiled as he lifted his arms up and patted Jonah's back. He was glad to know his son did care.

"You're always going to be my dad, and I'm sorry that I was always distant. Maybe we can use whatever time we have…to really get to know each other?" Michael smiled and slowly nodded his head. The warm feeling inside of him was on the rise, and he couldn't stop it, not that he wanted it to stop at all. Jonah glanced to the side and rubbed the back of his neck, chuckling nervously. "I, uh…got a job, by the way." His father gasped and his lips curled up into a very wide smile.

"You did?"

"Yeah, I work over there at that Firestone auto shop on Davis Street. The boss says I'm pretty good for a new guy." Pride filled the older man's eyes and he hugged his son once more. Jonah smiled and closed his eyes.

"I'm so proud of you, son." Tears filled Jonah's eyes and his heart swelled at his father's words. He took a small step backwards as Michael rested his hands firmly on the bed. "I see you're growing to be a great man, and I couldn't be prouder of that fact."

"Thanks dad…but you know, I still have a lot to learn."

"We all do. You stick around with that girlfriend of yours, though, and you're probably going to have a good life." Jonah blushed once again and rubbed the back of his neck anxiously, smiling lightly to mask any sort of embarrassment. He didn't want to tell his dad they had a pretty bad fight a while back, but they had bounced back from that pretty well, just because she was just that great of a woman and did everything in her power to make sure Jonah would be okay while his father was in his comatose state. "I don't think I've ever seen you so happy, so in love with a girl in such a long time. Your mom would be proud of you."

"You think so, huh?" Michael nodded as Jonah smiled once more. Michael knew he'd made a few mistakes growing up and wished he could have been there to help Jonah learn, but it seemed he really did learn from his mistakes. He had tried to talk to him when his relationship with Sam ended and he'd called off girls in a sense of guilt, but Jonah wasn't talking. He obviously got past that on his own, Valerie had helped him to see that if he accepted that he could change, then he could. "When mom died, I think…everything just kind of stopped for a while." Michael closed his eyes and slowly breathed out. It did, it stopped for everyone, and they never really moved on from it. "I shouldn't have shut you out like that, but I never could get why you had shut yourself from the world. If I'd known about your issues, I would have understood…"

"I know you would have, but I didn't exactly think you'd be too thrilled that another one of your parents could die…" Jonah closed his hands up and shook very slightly. The thought that his father might die anytime was eating him up inside, but he needed to make the best of the time they had. Both men knew this, especially when they considered the events that had just taken place. "How long was I out?"

"It's been a week." Michael's eyes widened momentarily and he bowed his head. A week. His son would probably have been going through so much worry. "I brought all of our pinecones in the house and cleaned it up, then I got that job I told you about, and all without any parties." Jonah smirked and Michael laughed for a minute. When the air was silent and the laughter gone, his mind began thinking more about his conditions. Jonah pulled the chair closer to the bed, getting tired of standing in one place, and took a seat. "Dad, I read up on your conditions and it kind of scares me, but it's okay. I think we can do this." Michael lifted his eyes over and smiled sadly. Fear gripped its deadly claws into his heart and he slowly closed his eyes. He may not get to see his son graduate high school. Tears stung his eyes as Jonah filled with concern. "Dad?"

"That's just it, I don't know how much time I have. That's only with the heart failure, I have this aneurysm that could go off any minute. The fact that it didn't go off yet is amazing, to be honest." A miracle, because surely if it hadn't gone off when he had the heart attack, it should have gone off while he was in the coma. So they were shocked, but glad, that it hadn't. "I don't want to be distant anymore, son. I really don't."

"It's okay Dad, we don't need to be." The door opened, but the two men didn't really take notice. Valerie stepped in and stopped by the door when she saw Jonah and his father having a heartfelt talk, she didn't want to interrupt. She smiled kindly and rested her hands together at her waist. "I'm just so happy that you're okay." He wanted to have his father through everything, he wanted to be the one for his father to lean on, and vice versa. Jonah wiped his eyes and sniffed, he didn't like feeling so emotional, but perhaps it was something that he could not help. "I love you dad." Michael's eyes glistened and he leaned back, closing his eyes and smiling peacefully.

"I love you too Son." Jonah looked up at the clock and frowned, he needed to get to work or he would be late, and being late was the _last_ thing he wanted. He was on good terms with his boss and the man would understand, but he still didn't like to be late for anything. Michael opened his eyes and looked at the door, smiling when he saw Valerie. She smiled and waved at him, then mouthed that she didn't want to interrupt. Michael lifted his finger up and smirked. "Your girlfriend's here, by the way." Valerie's face grew red as Jonah turned his head back and grinned.

"Valerie!" She walked over to him and hugged him, her joy on this day was skyrocketing, considering Michael had finally awakened. Jonah kissed her gently and looked at Michael with a smile. He and Valerie both thought maybe they could stay just a couple minutes longer, Jonah could still get back to work on time. After they all spoke, Jonah was really rushing to get going. "Dad, I don't mean to rush out, but I have to get to work and not be late." Michael lifted his hand up and smiled in his understanding way, he was by no means offended at Jonah needing to do his job.

"I understand. You go out there and do your best job."

"I will dad." Jonah's tears came again as he hugged his father once more and started to leave the room with Valerie, stopping just to glance back at his father, who was now laying back down and closing his eyes. The doctor and nurses went in to check up on him, then they would need to give him a chance to rest. Valerie kissed Jonah's cheek and rested her head upon his shoulder as they walked.

"I've never seen you so happy, Jonah. It makes me happy. I love you."

"I love you." He smiled at her and wiped dry his eye. "Dad and I are going to start fresh again." Valerie's heart lifted up and her lips curled upwards. This news was probably the best news about his family that Jonah could have told her.

"That's really great! I'm glad you and your dad are giving each other another chance." Jonah nodded his head and smiled up into the sky. It really did feel good, and he really did want to share his life with his father. It was at this time, they really did need to live every day like it would be their last. That was the part of the nightmare.

* * *

So all is well with them, they're connecting on a new understanding. Valerie must be happy and I'm sure Denise would be too. Now I need to think of the next chapter, it will probably be over to Freddie.


	21. Triple Date

Boarded

A/N: Sorry it's been so long, college, and other drama has been keeping me on my toes.

* * *

Chapter 21 (Triple Date)

Freddie and Melanie were on their tenth date thus far, dining at Cotton Patch Café. Jonah and Valerie had come down for a visit, as had Sam and Gibby. The Cotton patch was a regional restaurant, so only Melanie had ever been to one before. "The food here is _great_, I've never had bad service, and now I feel like a commercial advertisement." Melanie looked down at the table and her sister laughed.

"I just want to be fed!" Melanie grinned as Sam eyed the menu hungrily. There were so many great choices. As for the sides, the baked potato sounded really great. Her sister never went to Cotton Patch and got a meal without ordering the potato, so she definitely wanted to try it. "Everything's huge, like you say?" Melanie nodded as a waitress came walking up to them with their drinks. The group looked up and were warmed by the woman's kind smile. Her smile seemed genuine and did not appear to be fake at all. It made them feel right at home. Once done handing out the drinks, the waitress pulled out a notepad and looked at the group.

"Are you ready to order, or would you like another minute?" The group looked at each other, then to their menus. They all had a pretty good idea what they wanted. Nodding their heads, they looked up at the lady and started their orders. Sam, of course, went first.

"I would like the bigger sirloin steak, please! Can I have that with a loaded baked potato? I hear they're the best!" The waitress beamed with pride and nodded as she wrote down Sam's order. They were famous for their potatoes. Melanie smiled at her sister and ordered her usual order, which was actually synonymous with Sam's, so she was pleasantly surprised to see her ordering the steak. Once Melanie's order was done, Gibby ordered next.

"I'd like this burger right here," Gibby said while pointing to the image of the Big Bubba Burger. It appealed to him with the two huge patties, the buns, and all of the accessories. "And if I can, could I also try the baked potato?" It didn't come with the sandwich, so for him, it would have been a dollar extra.

"Would you like it loaded, sir?"

"Oh yes, definitely!" The waitress smiled and Gibby licked his lips at the picture of the burger. He was wondering if it wouldn't be as big as the image portrayed it. Melanie smiled at him and tapped his shoulder, causing him to look at her in surprise. "Yes?"

"That's really a huge sandwich, you think you'll manage to eat it?"

"How big is it?"

"Like…this big!" Melanie held her hands several inches apart and Gibby's eyes widened. His mouth started to water just a bit, so he quickly tore his gaze away.

"I'll take it!" The others laughed and Valerie decided to take her order. She was going for the grilled salmon, it seemed so appealing to her. She also asked for the baked potato, considering all that she'd heard about it. Freddie and Jonah both ordered the tilapia, which came with either six or eight pieces of shrimp. They went with eight, and ordered the baked potato as well. The waitress thanked them for their orders and left with the menus. Gibby folded his arms over and leaned back. "I really do like the feel of this place." The atmosphere was cozy, there was good, current music playing over the speakers, the seats were soft, and the restaurant wasn't too bright nor too dark. "I can't believe they don't have these places up North."

"Yeah, but maybe one day they'll branch out." Gibby nodded his head as Freddie looked over to Jonah. He'd heard of him starting to become closer to his dad again, something that was really good and really needed. Jonah almost didn't come see them because he wanted to make sure his dad would be taken care of. Jonah took a sip of his water as Gibby quietly looked over to him. "Jonah, how is your dad's health?" Jonah looked up and set his drink down as his friends all murmured their agreement with the question.

"He's fine, still a little shaky, but he's fine." Valerie frowned and gave Jonah a quick peck on the cheeks. She and Freddie were the only two that really knew the true severity of the case. The doctor told Michael he needed to be really careful, or the next time might be his last, he was lucky to even survive the heart attack he did have, and if it weren't for his son's fast thinking and CPR to keep the heart going, he probably would not have lived. "I think he'll make it to see me get to college, and he's really proud of me for getting a job." Valerie squeezed his hand, causing him to look into her smiling eyes.

"We're all proud of you for getting that job, sweetie." Jonah chuckled and nodded his head. He sighed and relaxed his body, though shifting a bit uncomfortably in his seat. He didn't want to talk about his dad at the moment, he just didn't want to think about his father dying. It was best to remain in the now, and nowhere else.

"So…who else has drama going on in their lives?" He chuckled nervously while Sam closed her eyes and Freddie rubbed the back of his neck. Valerie looked outside at Jonah's car, and then to her purse. Melanie tapped her fingers upon the table and Jonah let out a sigh of exasperation. "Everyone's got something they have, it's always a relief to know that you're not the only one going through crap, though also a bit depressing too." Freddie shrugged and pat Jonah on the shoulder.

"Nothing to do about it, man." Valerie mouthed something to Sam, who then nudged Melanie. The boys all looked up as their dates stood from their seats and excused themselves to the bathroom. "Hm, I guess it's girl time to talk about their boyfriends?" Gibby and Jonah laughed unconsciously. Gibby looked back and smirked jokingly.

"Well since they're in the bathroom, I guess we'll just have to pray they don't walk out on us and leave us with the tip." The group laughed once more. Once finished, Jonah lightly smacked Freddie on the arm, causing him to glance over.

"So, tell me about this new best friend of yours that seems to have replaced me." He smirked and Freddie rubbed his arm. It didn't hurt, it was just unexpected. He took a sip of his water and pressed his lips together. "He's a senior like I am, right?" Gibby drank his soda, not really needing to participate in this group discussion. Freddie nodded and rubbed his fingers in a circular motion on the table, just feeling it unconsciously.

"Yeah, but he and his girlfriend are going through some issues right now."

"Like what?"

"It's been found out that they've been letting each other into the other's dorm far too late at night. They're under fire with the board. They're going to let Keith stay on till he graduates, because he's on the baseball team, but Penny might not be able to…" Jonah frowned and Gibby shook his head.

"Man that sucks. Isn't he like one of the better players on your team?"

"Yeah, that's why they're keeping him on. He's fighting to have Penny stay and is trying to threaten them that he may drop out of the school if they don't let her remain there."

"If you don't mind me asking," Gibby stated as he watched the cooks place someone's order on the bar for pick up. Sighing, he turned his gaze away and looked to Freddie. "How did they find out?"

"That Jerry kid on the team, he went and told the board." Gibby's muscles tensed up, but he held his overall composure. Chances were, neither Freddie or Jonah knew a thing about Jerry Elliot, so he didn't want to scare them. It was also not his place to tell Freddie, it was Melanie's place. If she wanted him to know, she would be the one to tell him.

"Bastard. Who died and made him ruler?"

"Well for some reason, he hates me. He's dating Melanie's friend Kendal, and her friend Alison hates his guts for no apparent reason." Jonah chuckled and rolled his eyes. He knew that whoever this Jerry guy was, he needed to back off. He'd seen a picture of Jerry, so he was surprised when he saw the youth walking along the sidewalk just outside of the restaurant.

"Uh guys…" Freddie and Gibby raised their eyebrows and looked with curiosity at Jonah. Following his gaze, their eyes widened when Jerry walked into the establishment, opening both doors with his hands for effect. It was almost like he wanted people to _know_ he was there. "Speaking of the devil…"

"What's he doing here?" Freddie's voice was flat and dry, his eyes narrowing. Jerry moved his eyes over to Freddie and narrowed them. He brushed past one of the hosts trying to ask where he needed to sit. The host was stunned and hurt by the feeling of being ignored. "Hold on guys…" Freddie stood up and faced Jerry as he walked up to him. Jonah and Gibby, feeling like they may need to be backup, stood from their seats and stepped behind Freddie, crossing their arms and glaring at Jerry, hoping to intimidate him. "What is it, Jerry? It's been months now, I hope you're not still pissed that I got on the team and can hit every one of your knuckler shots."

"No, I'm not still pissed about that." Jerry eyed the table curiously and saw one of the women's purses. So, they were with the men. "You beat me fair and square, Benson." Some of the patrons were watching them uncomfortably, hoping that no fight was about to break out. The waiters were watching as well, ready to jump in if they had to. "I was here for a meal, until I saw you were here. So, I thought to come find say hello."

"You just wanted to come say hi?" Freddie scoffed lightly and his friends exchanged disbelieving looks. Jerry felt someone glaring at him with what felt like fires of hate, but who? He moved his eyes to Gibby and raised a questioning eyebrow, he knew something. He had to, his glare was more intense than either Freddie or Jonah.

"Now what is your problem?" Freddie and Jonah looked back at Gibby, who closed his eyes angrily. He let out a very tiny hint of a growl, suppressing it into his throat. The girls started to leave the bathroom, but upon seeing Jerry, quickly rushed back in. Jerry spotted them and pressed his lips tightly together. So Kendal was right, Melanie was a twin. So, perhaps 'Jackie' really was a made up name. Jerry brushed past the boys, flashbacks striking him as his rage flared up. "Hey Jackie, if that's really your name, I know you're in there! Get your little ass out here, we've been needing to talk. I owe you for a few years!" Freddie and Jonah looked at each other with confusion, but Gibby was quick on the dime.

"Go away!" Gibby shouted as he grabbed the back of Jerry's shirt and pulled him from the area. "You're not wanted here." Jerry had slipped up, he hadn't actually intended to stir up trouble, but seeing Sam, or Jackie, or whoever the hell she was, really caused him to lose it. He decided to just leave, rather than let his anger get the better of him in a public location. He sighed as Gibby dragged him to the door. Normally, he'd be kicking this oaf's ass for laying a hand on him.

"Who the hell is Jackie?" Freddie asked quietly to Jonah, who shrugged in response. Neither of them could figure out what all this was about, it simply seemed random as ever. "Gibby, hold up!" Gibby stopped and Jerry pulled himself from Gibby's hold, then dusted himself off. Freddie hurried over and pushed Jerry out the door, following him.

"Wait Freddie, no!" Gibby cursed under his breath and Jonah's eyebrows lifted up. Now he really felt out of the loop. They guys would have gone outside, but they knew Freddie would simply want them to go back in.

Jerry frowned as Freddie leaned against a car. "Jerry, who is Jackie?" Jerry looked to him and shrugged. Was it really important for Freddie to know? Then again, if Freddie did know, how would he react to it? Slowly, his lips formed a smirk as he crossed his arms over.

"Jackie Trent is one of the girls involved in killing my grandmother."

"What?"

"Yes, evidently it wasn't her real name. I didn't even know she had a twin sister coming to a boarding school here, now _that_ was a coincidence." Freddie's face fell and he slowly looked to the restaurant. Sam was involved in someone's death? That hardly seemed possible. Sam was too good of a person for that. "I thought Jackie was Jessica's sister, but it turns out, I guess they were just cousins or something."

"It's not my place, but how…how did your grandmother die?"

"Stabbed in the chest with a pen. She was like, eighty, or something." Freddie pressed his lips tightly together and looked into Jerry's wild and fiery eyes, he never noticed just how much hatred and anger burned in them.

"Jerry, I'm certain it was an accident…"

"It was no accident, Benson."

"Sam would never kill someone! Nobody in her family would ever kill someone with any kind of malice whatsoever! I know her, I know her family!"

"Correction. You know her sister, you've fallen in love with her sister, the good one. You don't know shit about the other." Jerry looked to the restaurant and sighed, so much for eating there. Closing his eyes, he turned away and shrugged. "Now if you excuse me, I need to go find a different restaurant." Freddie looked to the ground, trying to figure everything out. He didn't notice Jerry starting to walk away and closed his hands up.

"Yeah, whatever…" He didn't want to think that Sam could possibly be involved in someone's death. He didn't want to think that Jerry could have gone through something so tragic and that Sam's family was the reason for it. No, it was impossible. Preposterous. He felt a hand on his shoulder and looked up to see Jonah staring at him with concern.

"Hey man, the waitress brought the food, if you want to eat now…"

"Yeah, let's eat. I'm really hungry."

* * *

Well, looks like Sam's got some explaining to do now. Either Jerry showed up by coincidence, or he meant to show up there. Who knows, all anyone knows is two things: Sam's got explaining to do and Valerie's got something going on she wanted to talk to the girls about.


	22. Explode

Boarded

A/N: Since it's been so long, I want to upload for you, give you a treat, two or three in one day. I'm not completely done with 23, yet.

* * *

Chapter 22 (Explode)

The women watched Freddie carefully as he and Jonah returned to their seats. Freddie's expression was calm and serene, nobody would know that he had even talked to Jerry. Sam took a slow bite of her food and looked over at her sister, who wasn't eating. Melanie was staring at her food and trying not to cry, she knew what Jerry must have told Freddie, and now Freddie might hate her. Quietly, Sam whispered to her.

"Whatever Jerry told him, would involve me, Mel. Not you." Melanie smiled, but Sam knew it was fake. She stabbed her steak with frustration and closed her eyes. It was only a matter of time before the past caught up with her. The question wasn't Freddie hating Melanie, the question was Freddie hating her, but he could only have heard Jerry's view, which would have been messed up anyway. Freddie took his seat and quietly started to eat. Everybody stared at him, all unsure of what to say or even of what would be going through Freddie's head in that moment.

He was dazzled by the taste as the flavor flooded his tongue. How could such a treasure not be available in the north? It just didn't seem right! He smiled as he swallowed the food and looked over at Melanie. "Melanie, how come you never brought me here before? This food is great! Some of the best I've ever had." Melanie blushed lightly as Valerie took a bite of her food. She smiled and nodded.

"Home style cooking, excellent flavor, good portion, and very appealing to the eye…" Jonah chuckled as Valerie recited off her critique. She couldn't help herself. She wanted to be a chef so badly that she ended up critiquing every bit of food she got. It actually did help Jonah to choose places to eat, because she could grade a place so well that Jonah eventually learned she was often right. It usually was in the eye of the beholder, but she spoke the truth, no bias. If she said the food was poor or the service was poor, there was no arguing, because as he learned, food would be as bad as the service. Melanie felt proud that everyone was enjoying the food, and grateful for the intervention into this awkward feeling silence.

"I'm glad you like this place, it's still my favorite." The boys couldn't decide whether to partake in the conversation or ask about Jerry, but it was clear to them that Jerry's presence had affected the girls on a very deep level. Sam kept looking at the doors, Melanie would glance at Sam every now and then, as if to guard her, and Valerie just tried to move everyone's thoughts onto other matters. Freddie was going to wait until later to ask about Jerry, but Sam just wanted to get it done. She stabbed her steak once more and lifted her eyes to Freddie.

"What did he tell you?" Everybody hesitated and the corners of his lips fell. He slowly opened his lips, then shut them. Sam rolled her head and sighed. "What did the asshole tell you?" Melanie shifted her eyes to the side, then tried to get Sam to not talk about him.

"Sam, please, right now? I mean-"

"Stop Melanie." She leaned forward and locked her eyes with Freddie's. "What did he tell you?" Freddie didn't feel like talking about it, he was still unsure of how to react to the news he heard. Sam wiped her mouth with her napkin and threw it down on the table, then quickly rose up, smacking her hands onto the surface. "I guess he told you about his grandmother. Well did he tell you that Jessica was trying to _defend _me? Did he mention that the old hag looked like she was going to hurt me if I didn't let that cat go? I bet not! Did he tell you that Jessica was thrown into a co-ed prison?" Gibby and Melanie shut their eyes tightly as Freddie stared calmly at Sam, his face slowly turning into shock as her anger at Jerry caused her outburst and tone to rise. "How about the fact that he was there? How about that? How about the fact that his father sent him to that boarding school because of his being angry?"

"Sam…"

"Not now, Mel!" Sam pointed her arm to the side and continued to shout. "Did that bastard tell you about how he beat Jessica on almost a daily basis? Did he tell you that? Did he tell you he threatened her life if he ever saw her again? That he threatened _my_ life? Did he tell you any of that?" Melanie winced and Freddie gripped his silverware tightly while the others gazed at their food, daring themselves to even eat.

"Please Sam, just eat…"

"No!" She was shaking, panic flooding her veins after having seen Jerry. And how dare Freddie _talk_ to him! How dare Freddie know _anything_ about her life? "Did he tell you about how I had to change my name to Jackie and live with my aunt out of fear of my own dad? That the reason Melanie was sent to the school was because of him? Did Jerry happen to tell you all the things that ever happened to us? Did he manage to tell you how _maybe_, just _maybe_ Jessica was apologetic as hell about what happened? She never wanted to kill the old woman, she didn't want anything to happen to her! She was fucking _protecting_ me, Freddie! She went to juvenile for me!" Tears stung her eyes and everybody looked away from her with only Freddie's gaze locked onto those blue tear-filled orbs that were Sam's eyes.

The waitress walked over to Sam, hoping to help her to calm down. "Ma'am, if you could please-"

"Not _now!_" Sam glared vehemently at the woman and she quickly backed away, her eyes filling up with pain. She turned away as Sam quickly looked back at Freddie, her chest heaving frantically. Freddie slowly closed his eyes and moved his food to his mouth. Chewing in silence, he swallowed and exhaled.

"Okay." Sam raised her eyebrow as Freddie calmly cut the fish once more with his fork and moved it to his lips again. Melanie smiled at him as relief started to fill her, she half expected Freddie to begin yelling back at Sam. Silence filled the air as Sam's body was slowly beginning to relax. Deflated, she quietly took her seat.

"That's it?" Freddie didn't respond and took a drink of water. Sam slowly shook her head, her eyes scaling him, searching him up and down. "That's all you have to say? Just…'okay' and nothing else?"

"What would you have me say, Sam?" Freddie took his napkin and wiped his mouth. "I'm not going to say anything that would hurt you. It wouldn't be right. I'm not going to fight you, because there is no reason to. You're right, you're not to blame. I don't know what happened, and I don't know the way things are now, so I'm not going to judge anyone. Certainly, this doesn't change anything at all on how I look at you, Melanie, or anybody."

"If he knows I'm visiting here…"

"Didn't you say Shane and Jessica were in town as well with you guys?"

"Yeah…they wanted to see a rodeo." Freddie slowly nodded and smiled kindly at her. He'd been to a rodeo at least once in his lifetime, they were fun to watch on television, but even better in person. Melanie grinned and decided to add to the conversation, since she really enjoyed rodeos.

"Alison and Kendal went to one! Alison took her boyfriend along, though. Kendal's probably going to be the third wheel." Freddie chuckled, not believing Kendal could ever feel like a third wheel.

"With those two, Melanie…I think _Vinson_ would be the one to feel like a third wheel." Melanie laughed and imagined her two friends hanging out together and Vinson just trudging slowly behind them. They may have fought like sisters, but they loved like sisters too. There was no way in hell, no force earthly or supernatural, that could separate those two. Sam blinked as the conversation went off track somehow, and she was still on the subject of Jerry.

"So what's going to happen now that you know about him?" Freddie glanced up and shrugged his shoulders, he wasn't entirely sure what could be done. To be honest, he didn't feel Jerry was currently a threat.

"He hasn't done anything, I don't think. I wouldn't let him, either."

"You'd better not. If anything were to happen to Mel…"

"_Nothing_ will happen to Melanie." His face grew serious and Sam was almost a bit taken aback. Good to know Freddie was so protective of Melanie. "If he comes close to her, he'll have a few problems." Melanie smiled warily and took a bite of her own food, she didn't think Freddie would be so protective, and in a way, she liked it. But now that he knew even more, would things really not change? Spring Break was only beginning for everyone, so they had a week to spend with each other and a week to see where everyone's directions were headed. "Sam, have you talked to Carly any?"

"Not since iCarly ended, unfortunately…" Lately, Carly just wasn't as involved in school anymore. She was often starting to skip classes, her grades were slipping just a bit, and even her clothing style was changing around. "Griffin's changed her."

"Yeah, people change as they age, I guess. Maybe she'll come around eventually."

"Maybe…" Sam didn't want to talk about Carly, she much preferred carrying on a conversation about other things. She was starting to view Carly as a lost cause. She knew that, as Gibby always said, many things in life did not have a typical storybook, fairytale type ending. Perhaps matters with Carly, this was how it was.

"Don't give up hope, Sam. It's Carly, she'll have to come around soon enough." Sam smiled warily and shrugged her shoulders. Melanie rested her head on Sam's shoulder for comfort and rubbed her back, she didn't want Sam to be sad. Sam didn't want to say it, but as far as she felt for Carly, was about as hopeless as Jonah felt about his father or even Valerie for her mother, even though her mom was getting surgery and therapy, there was a chance she could walk again. Life was hard, it was just that simple.

* * *

Hope you've enjoyed this chapter!


	23. Love

Boarded

A/N:

* * *

Chapter 23 (Love)

Freddie and Melanie walked outside the restaurant, leaving their friends inside for the moment. Melanie wanted to talk to him in private, so they moved their food to the tables outside. The waitress was glad to continue serving them out there if they needed anything. It was a beautiful, but windy day. "So you wanted to talk to me?" Freddie sat next to her and she rested her head on his shoulder, letting the wind beat down on her face.

"You might think I'm insecure, but…" He frowned as she slowly breathed out, she usually tried to refrain from being depressive, but she couldn't help it this time around. "You know what my family's like, what we've been through…so you might not want to keep dating me…" Freddie's eyes widened a bit and he quickly protested. If he didn't know anything in this world, he could be certain of one thing, and that was the fact that he wanted to be with Melanie.

"Why would I want that? You're my world, Melanie." Melanie lifted her head up and gazed into his eyes for a moment, she could see truth, trust, and love all bundled into one package. Her heart pulsed for a moment and she quickly tore her gaze away from him. She'd never felt this way before. Why should she feel this way? "I know you've gone through so much, but that's all past." Melanie nodded slowly and looked ahead into the parking lot.

"Yeah, but it still haunts me on a daily basis." Freddie nodded and wrapped his arm around her waist protectively, he would never let her be hurt as long as he had something to say about it. He would keep her safe, he would be there for her through everything. Melanie smiled at him and kissed his cheek tenderly, then rested her head back upon his shoulder. "What do you think will happen if your mom decides to take you back home?" Freddie sighed and looked up. He had not thought about that. If his mom truly got better at parenting and wanted him back, did he have any say in the matter? He wanted to be with Melanie, that was all that really mattered. If he couldn't be with her, then it would feel like hell.

"I don't know, I guess I'd have to try and convince her to let me stick around." That was the best he could do, to keep his mom from taking him home too early. He was doing so well, too. "I don't think she will though. I would fight it, because I do not want to be without you." Melanie smiled slightly and closed her eyes. He would never know just how happy he made her, and hearing those words meant so much to her. Maybe she had no reason to be afraid, no reason to fear or to be insecure about anything.

"Freddie. Thank you." Freddie smiled and rubbed her back softly. He then looked to the windows of the restaurant. Though he couldn't see inside to see if they were watching, he was almost certain they were eyeing him inside. He wasn't going to make any stupid moves, so they didn't have to fear that. He also wasn't wanting to put on a show for them, but they probably couldn't help but to watch. She stirred and opened her eyes part way. "Freddie…what do you think will happen with Jason? I mean…he is a dangerous man." Freddie tilted his head back and thought on Jerry. He despised that man for everything he was. For hurting Sam's cousin, for threatening anyone and scaring everybody. He wanted to tear the man apart limb by limb. "Did you know that he's been cited several times for getting into fights on campus?" He lifted his eyebrows up as Melanie slowly drew in her breath. "Ever since he's been at the school, he's been a dangerous and scary person, starting fights and beating people up. The teachers have told him countless times to stop, so I don't think he has much longer to go."

"Yeah, it would explain why he doesn't seem to get in many fights anymore." Although he didn't seem like the type of guy to care whether or not the teachers wanted him gone. He seemed like the type to just do as he pleased and not let anyone or anything get in his way. "If he starts bothering you, take it up with the people in charge. That seems appropriate, doesn't it?" Melanie nodded as Freddie gently groomed her hair. "I won't let him do anything to you. I won't let anyone do a thing to you." She breathed out her nose and lifted her eyes to the sky, smiling and thanking whatever higher power up there brought Freddie into her life. They remained silent, listening only to the beatings of their hearts. Melanie pondered how long they'd known each other. Sure, they met years ago, but they didn't really start knowing each other until the start of the year, sometime in August. Now it was the middle of March, spring had begun. The corners of her lips curled upwards as she snuggled closer to Freddie. It was always said 'love is in the air in springtime' but was that true?

"Freddie?" Her voice was as soft and quiet as the warm breeze. He felt his heart do its usual skipping a beat that it did whenever she said his name. "I know we've not dated that long, a few months…we've known each other since, well, I'm not sure whether to include, you know…." He lifted his eyes up and thought back to the dance, the words he had said and the upset emotions she must have felt. He didn't know it was her, but those words had such a strong impact that he was _still_ kicking himself on occasion. Not so much anymore, but he still hated himself for before.

"If you want to say we knew each other then, I suppose you can. I mean, we even kissed." Melanie chuckled and closed her eyes. She felt so comfortable with him. He was so warm, so soft, his heart was so gentle that he matched her. He connected with her in ways that she never thought anyone could ever connect. Freddie held his gaze onto her, tearing away for a split second when their friends walked out. Jonah met his eyes and immediately began pushing the others back in.

"I've never met anybody who makes me feel the way you do, and Sam's always been _so_ protective of me…" Freddie smiled and nodded, he could tell she was protective of Melanie, and she had good reason to be. Melanie was so innocent, so sweet, so pure. She was not like her sister, she was not like her cousin, or any other relative in the family. She was independent like they were, but when it came to being tough, she had her own ways but just wasn't as bound as they were.

"Sam loves you."

"Yeah, and for her to actually talk your mom into sending you to Chestnut…for me…that's a lot of trust." Freddie's lips curled upwards and he looked into the sky. She was right, Sam would never do that with just any guy. For her to do that with him, even when he had already hurt Melanie, that must have been a _huge_ amount of trust she had been placing in him. Melanie placed her hand upon his chest and wrapped her other arm around his back. "Maybe I'm wearing my heart on my sleeve, but it feels…I don't know, should I feel the way I do?"

"What way is that, Mel?"

"It's scary…" Freddie felt Sam's eyes on him and wondered if she was around. She was the only one that hadn't walked out of the building with Jonah just before he pushed them all back in, but had she already walked out? "You know how protective Alison is of me and how she's even more protective of Kendal?"

"Yeah, hard to see, but it's there…"

"That's because they really are like sisters, through foster care together and all. But Sam is like that with me, she's ten times more protective of me than Alison is. It gets annoying, but still…she has every reason to be." She lifted her head up and moved her eyes to the side. Towards the back end of the restaurant, she saw a flash of golden hair move back into hiding. She rolled her eyes and smiled as she moved her gaze to Freddie's gaze. "She may be a lot harder on you than ever before."

"I'm not too worried…" He tried to imagine Sam possibly breaking every bone of his body, she would be very successful in doing so if it ever came to that. He hoped she would have no reason to ever actually kick his ass.

"You don't understand. The way Dad was, the things she's gone through with all the boys in her life, plus the way Carly always seemed to somehow take boys from her…" Melanie breathed out slowly and resisted the urge to sit up and talk to him, she just wanted him to hold her. "Even Jessica, who's gone through so much, our mom too. We don't have a lot of luck with men."

"I will never hurt you, Melanie." His voice was a soft whisper, his hand rubbed up arm and she closed her eyes.

"I know that, but Sam will always watch you. The fact that she even gave you a chance is something that I am shocked at. Normally if someone even looked at me, she'd tear them apart…not even just physically, but emotionally too. I think Gibby and Shane must have really impacted her somehow. But still, I'm like the baby. Jessica and Sam are the ones who always look after 'the baby' of the family."

"I can understand their reasoning."

"Yes. But now with how I feel…Sam might come down even harder on you." Freddie raised his eyebrows and looked at her with concern. He didn't really think he had to worry about proving himself to Sam or Jessica, to him it was Melanie that was the most important.

"Why? How do you feel?" His stomach started to twist, as though it were empty all of a sudden. He was starting to feel a sweat coming on. Was she about to say what he thought she was?

"I'm afraid that I'll say it, and you'll run away." She looked back at the building and saw Sam's head barely peering from around the corner, eyes narrow and steadily resting on Freddie. "I've never felt this way about anyone, Freddie. Anyone that I've ever even gotten close to, they've hurt me."

"Melanie, I will never hurt you. Nothing you say to me can make me run away from you. Just…come out with it, if that's appropriate to say?" She felt like she could rest upon his words, they were so soft, so sweet. Like honey for her ears. She broke from him and sat up straight, her face turning red as she looked down to the ground.

"Freddie, I…I think maybe…" Freddie sat and listened, not wanting to push her or to rush her. She placed her hands on her legs and closed her fingers around her pants. She was just going to come out and say it, screw the past, screw the pain. Screw the fear, screw the hate. Screw her father, who made her feel so inferior, who always made her feel worthless and pathetic. _"It was never Sam he came down hardest on…"_

"Melanie?" Freddie placed his hand onto hers and gave it a squeeze. Melanie's eyes widened as impulses surged into her, almost like an electric shock bringing her to life. She searched his eyes for a second, they were so filled with love. There was no doubt. She leaned forward and kissed him full on the lips. His eyes widened for a second, then closed as he let her kiss him. They had not kissed since the day of the roses, so this came as a surprise to him. She pulled back after a second, her face and body incredibly warm. She met his strong eyes and grasped his hands gently. Freddie searched her eyes and his face softened remarkably. She was so beautiful.

"Freddie, I…I love you." He smiled as she inhaled deeply and slowly exhaled, waiting for him to say something like it being too soon or that he didn't feel the same about her. But she trusted him, she felt like he wouldn't do something like that to her. "Every time I'm with you, every time you hold me, whenever you talk to me, my heart just leaps for joy. I always want to be with you, I always want to be happy, and you make me incredibly happy. Please say you feel the same…"

She searched his eyes for a minute, he wasn't saying anything and it was scaring her. She put her heart out there and he wasn't responding. Was he searching his own heart? Maybe, maybe he wanted to know if he loved her to. He didn't seem like he was thinking at all. If he needed time, she would give him time. She closed her eyes and stood up, she didn't want to waste his time. He quickly took her hand and she turned to face him as he stood up. He towered over her, he seemed like a skyscraper compared to her, even though he was only a few inches taller. His face was firm, his eyes still filled with that wondrous emotion. "You want me to answer, but you know my response."

"Freddie?" He gently pulled her closer and held her gaze.

"When I'm with you, my heart melts. When you're around or I think about you, you empower me. It feels as though I'm a better person when you're around. Mel, there are so many things I can say, so many reasons why…" Melanie took one last breath before becoming completely breathless. Was he saying he felt the same? Did he honestly care that much about her? "I promise you that I won't break your heart. We may have fights sometimes, but when we do have our first fight, please remember this…" He lifted his hand up and brushed her hair back, gazing lovingly into her eyes. "I love you, too." Her heart skyrocketed and she began to feel faint, but it was pleasant. He _did_ care, he did love her. "So since we've just been dating, can I ask if we could become exclusive?"

"E-Exclusive?"

"Yeah, like Jonah and Valerie, or Sam and Gibby. I'm asking if you would be my girlfriend and I can be your boyfriend. Maybe we can go steady."

"Y-Yes!" She was so excited that she was forgetting about Sam. Chances were likely that Sam would want to talk to Freddie, same for Jessica. Those two always were like that with her. They were the reason she never had a steady boyfriend, they were always picky. She wrapped her arms around his neck just as she remembered Sam, and then bit her lip. "Although you may want to talk to Sam, and while Jessica's still here…her too."

"Okay, I'll do that." Melanie pressed her lips together and glanced to the side. It wasn't going to be as easy as he thought it was.

"Again, you don't realize just _how_ protective they are of me. They will be happy for me, of course, but they'll probably end up tearing you down just to see how much you can take. They'll want to see if you're right for me…"

"Let them do whatever they want. I'm not afraid of them."

"Even you know how Sam is…" Freddie closed his eyes and grinned, trying to hide the fact that he was actually a tad nervous about the possibility of confronting Sam.

"That makes it easier to deal with her." Melanie smirked and raised her eyebrow, shifting her hip to the side.

"She'll be _worse_ than you've ever seen her."

"Still not afraid." A small whimper left his lips and he quickly cleared his throat. "Sorry about that." Melanie laughed and kissed his lips gently before resting her head on his shoulder. His expression went soft as he held her close and gently swayed. Melanie closed her eyes just as she saw a flash of golden hair run back into the restaurant. She had to wonder when Sam would confront Freddie. Probably at the same time as Jessica.

* * *

Hope you enjoyed this chapter.


	24. A Cousin's Rage

Boarded

A/N:

* * *

Chapter 24 (A Cousin's Rage)

Alison and Kendal cheered as a bull tried to throw its rider but the cowboy held on. He'd been hanging on for nearly three minutes. Vinson smiled as he watched the two. His hair was now short and spiked, he was wearing a black t-shirt and black jeans. Alison had really won him over, plus she had been right about his "friends" that disagreed or agreed. The real ones stuck around long after his "transformation" and meeting Alison. She'd managed to get into him so much so that they'd begun to date. Kendal approved. He was always happy to see the two girls having so much fun.

"Ride that bull Texan Thunder!" Kendal shouted while cupping her hands next to her mouth. Alison screamed her cheers as cameras flashed everywhere. "Don't let go!" This was such a pinnacle of a moment, one of the last moments of the day, and the cowboy was going to make sure the rodeo ended on a bang.

"Get him under control!" Alison shouted. Vinson felt someone watching them and looked over to see Carly Shay sitting a few seats away. Her boyfriend had left her to get a few hotdogs. She looked like she'd never been to a rodeo before. The way she was watching Alison and Kendal was almost a way of longing, as if there were something she missed. Her hair was short now, and somewhat messy. She was wearing darker clothes and a bit darker makeup, but she was definitely not Goth. Vinson tapped Alison's shoulder and pointed over to Carly. Alison peered over and her eyes widened. "Is that _Shay_ over there?" He nodded and Carly quickly looked away. Alison narrowed her eyes and Kendal glanced at her with question. "I'll be right back, guys." She got up from her seat and moved to the seat next to Carly.

Carly glanced at her from the side, then looked back at the action. Her heart started to beat a little more and a drop of sweat formed at her brow. Alison pounded her fist into the air and cheered on the cowboy once more. She smiled and placed her hand on her lap. "So what brings you here?" Carly froze for a second and looked at Alison as though she had a second head. Alison narrowed her eyes and sighed. "Yes, I'm talking to you."

"Uh…my boyfriend's got an uncle that works for the rodeo here and gave him tickets for the spring break rodeo." Carly winced as the bull pounded the rider into the wall, but the cowboy continued to hang on. "Why do people enjoy this sport? It's so…gruesome."

"Gruesome? Not at all." Alison smiled as she leaned back in the seat. "This sport is about gaining control, the upper hand. People come from all over the country to see someone stare danger in the face and gain control over their fears." The bull showed no signs of being tamed other than slowly tiring. "Look at you, I'd think you didn't think it's so 'gruesome' as you say."

"Yeah, well…"

"You've been watching us, haven't you." Carly piped up and swallowed as she moved her eyes to the rider. Alison lifted her eyes up to someone on the other side of the arena. Jessica. She was eyeing Carly, almost like she wanted to have a chat with her. "You're remembering your friendship with her, aren't you? Sam." Carly frowned and looked to the side, she hadn't really _dumped_ her entirely, at least she never thought she did. She was wrong, though.

"What does it matter to you?"

"I'm her friend, sort of, but still, better me than her sister or cousin." Carly bit her lip, tasting the musky purple lipstick and closing her eyes. She thought about Sam every now and then, but they just didn't have anything in common. Did they?

"We…grew apart."

"I don't know. She might say that _now_, especially if she saw you...You kind of just left her in the background." Carly felt a twinge in her heart and she quickly shook her head, trying to shake the feeling. "You haven't talked to her at all in the months since iCarly ended, have you? Do you even know what's going on in her life?"

"No…I…" Carly frowned as she watched the bull trotting away. There were still a couple more bulls and riders left, but the Texan Thunder still was stealing the show, as it always seemed to be. "I'm a bit out of my element here. Texas is…a different place."

"And a great place it is! You know what I love about Springtime? The rodeo. It's a show of obstacles, of change, of several different things. It's spectacular. You know, Sam's visiting here too?" Carly froze and her face paled slightly as she began to fidget. "She's here to visit her sister. I think her cousin's here too, showing her boyfriend a real Texas rodeo." Carly started looking around, questioning whether Sam was actually here right now.

"Where is she?"

"On a double date with her sister. Or, well, triple date. Her sister's date has his best friend visiting too. They wanted to meet Melanie." Alison had a lot more respect for Freddie now than ever before, he treated Melanie right and she would accept him if he were to become her boyfriend. "So you'll probably not see her. Although, I think if you wanted, I could find out where she's staying." Carly looked warily at the entrance into the arena seats and quickly stood up.

"I have to go check on my boyfriend."

"Carly?" Carly ran out of the area and Alison rolled her eyes, sighing quietly. Across the arena, she saw Jessica rise from her seat and leave the area. "Great, Jessica's probably going to want to talk to Carly too…" Alison rose up and left the arena, both Kendal and Vinson watched her curiously, then looked at each other with confusion. Alison found Carly pressed with her back against the wall, wiping back some tears. "I don't think your boyfriend's there…"

"I know." Carly breathed in, her heart beating rapidly in her chest. "I just…I can't see Sam."

"Why not?"

"I don't know." Kendal and Vinson walked up behind Alison and saw Jessica walking towards them. Carly met Jessica's eyes and swallowed, she didn't have a good feeling in her stomach right now. This girl seemed angry at her. "W-Who are you?" Jessica stepped in front of Carly and narrowed her eyes scornfully.

"I'm Sam's cousin, Jessica. I want to talk to you." Carly's eyes widened and her face paled incredibly. Her muscles tensed as Jessica crossed her arms. Was this girl going to hurt her? What was she going to do. Alison held her hands out to signal Kendal and Vinson to back up, she moved back with them. Jessica's eyes scaled Carly up and down. "So, you're the 'friend' that hurt my cousin. You've changed."

"For the better, I think…"

"I don't think so. Why would you just abandon Sam?" Jessica wasn't filled with this rage until she had realized the girl she had seen was Carly, and that was when she started to grow spiteful. How dare Carly just shun Sam the way she had done. "Do you know how many sleepless nights she had? Do you know how much she cried over possibly losing your friendship? Do you even have the _slightest_ idea how she felt? Have you _ever_ considered her feelings?"

"Yes! All the time!"

"Oh? Name one!" Carly swallowed as Jessica poked her in the chest. "I can name many times Sam let me know just where your thoughts were on certain matters. You may have taken the time sometimes, but it always sounded like you never did!"

"I always did! I mean…she was my best friend."

"Key word being _was_. What about now?"

"I…" Carly looked down and closed her hands up. She pressed her lips together and glared into Jessica's eyes angrily. Who was this girl to yell at her, she'd never even heard of her. "Well what about her?" Jessica was taken aback as Carly took a step forward. "I never even _heard_ about you! There are so many things she never even told me, like the fact that she and Gibby were _dating!_ Yes, I looked back at the iCarly recordings! She's lied to me about so many things!"

"Maybe she had a _reason_ to, Miss leave your friend for some guy!" Alison and Kendal looked at each other nervously as Carly and Jessica raged at each other. This was almost as entertaining as the rodeo was. "Look at you now! You're so fucking different! You hurt her, Carly! You don't know _anything!_ You don't know just what you did to her!"

"What I did to her? Who cares? If she was so concerned, she would have tried harder! Instead she lied about everything, got into so much legal trouble, maybe my life's better off without her!" The onlookers all did a double take and Jessica's jaw dropped. Carly cupped her hand over her mouth and her eyes widened. Tears stung her eyes as she swallowed hard, Jessica's hand twitched and Carly's eyes danced about the room. "I didn't mean that!"

"You _bitch!_" Jessica slapped Carly hard across the face. Carly yelped and put her hand to her red cheek. The blow stung, and she deserved it. "You don't know _anything_ about her! Who are you to fucking talk? You don't know the pain she's gone through in her life, you don't know the stuff she's kept hidden from _everyone_. You don't know the shit that's happened to our family!" Alison, Kendal, and Vinson wondered if they should leave the area, but they decided to stay because this fight was getting a bit more physical. "You have _no fucking right_ to talk!"

"I…I didn't mean it."

"You shouldn't have said it if you didn't mean it, so don't give me your fucking bullshit!" She was now on the warpath, she wanted to tear Carly apart limb by limb. She wasn't violent, but she was damn protective of her little cousin. "I should make you wish you never met me." She stopped at that, everything inside of her crashing down as her mind flashed back to the way Jerry treated her. She knew she had a right to be angry at Carly. She wasn't like Jerry, she was better than him. She wasn't going to beat Carly up, she just wanted to scare her.

"I-I'm sorry…" Jessica looked into Carly's eyes and slowly exhaled, calming herself down.

"Whatever. Just…" She clenched her eyes shut, she was hearing Jerry's voice. Why was he popping into her mind so much lately? Trying to ignore him, she opened her eyes and glared at Carly, who was now backing up against the wall. "You really hurt her, and you have no business showing your face around her." Jerry's voice again, but this time she was able to realize the difference. Her eyes widened as she looked to the side. In a hallway near them, Griffin crawled out. "No…" She whispered under her breath and Carly screamed when she saw her boyfriend beaten on the ground. The others watched Jessica closely. The girl was undergoing a transformation, everything about her was crashing and she was shaking horribly. "No." She breathed out and took a fearful step back as Jerry rounded the corner. "NO!" Jerry met her eyes and smirked.

"Hello Jessica. Long time no see."

* * *

Well you should have known we'd see Carly again. Told you all my plots come together, so those of you griping about the fact that I had so many different plots going on, shut up now. It's for the best of the story to have multiple ones, and yes, I always bring them all together. And now as you can see, when that happens, things get intense! Jerry has arrived...


	25. Monster Arrives

Boarded

A/N:

* * *

Chapter 25 (Monster Arrives)

"Jerry!" Kendal said with excitement. She was about to run to him, but Alison held her hand out and narrowed her eyes. Something was wrong here, very wrong. Kendal pouted her lip and Jessica's heart pounded. She felt like she was about to have a heart attack. Carly ran past Jerry and knelt beside her boyfriend. Jerry ignored her and began walking to Jessica, slowly but like a menace. Kendal frowned, feeling her heart sink. She may be a bit of a ditz, but she was not stupid. She knew danger when she saw it, and right now, Jerry looked completely different than she'd ever seen him. "Jerry, why are you looking like that?"

"Shut up." He scowled and Kendal was shocked by his words, hurt that he would say something like that to her, and with such scorn in his voice. Tears stung her eyes and her heart faltered inside of her. Jerry locked his eyes with Jessica, who was now a whimpering mess under his cold glare. "Thanks to my 'girlfriend' I've learned quite a bit about you and your family, Jessica." Jessica's eyes widened and Alison slapped her forehead. Kendal's jaw dropped as she began to realize that she had been used. Had she? No, he wouldn't do that to her, would he? Alison _told_ her to stay away from him, and she hadn't listened! She should have known to listen to her sister. A sister always knows, they always know. "By the way, I found Jackie." He felt that she lied to him about Jackie, yet another lie from this woman.

"What?" Jessica gasped and her eyes widened as panic ran through her veins. Her heart sped up and her hands began to shake. "You couldn't…you couldn't have!"

"Well, now I thought that one girl at school was her. You know, Melanie."

"You don't touch her either!" Jessica pointed violently at Jessica and Kendal took another step back, shaking her head. Alison looked at her carefully and frowned, feeling like shit for Kendal having to see this.

"Turns out your little 'sister' wasn't really your sister! She's your fucking _cousin_ and Melanie is her _twin_." Jessica's lip quivered as Jerry continued his approach. "Her name is _Sam_." Didn't he know her as a child? Why would children make things like this up? Carly looked up from Griffin and watched Jerry with angry eyes. He'd better not touch Sam.

"You'd better not go _near_ her!" He wasn't going to, he didn't feel like hurting anybody anymore, but he still felt like a monster. He never had control over his anger.

"Oh look at you, talking all tough to me. Have you become fearless since we last talked?" Jerry grabbed her shirt and pulled her close. She closed her eyes as he glared at her, his venomous breath falling onto her face. She was trying hard not to be afraid. Carly's eyes widened and she quickly stood up.

"No! You leave her alone!" Jerry raised his eyebrow as Carly started running towards him. Jessica gasped for air and shouted at Carly to stay away, she didn't want anyone to get hurt. Jerry pushed her back, not wanting to bother with her.

"Why?" Kendal screamed and Alison's fists clenched, she _knew_ she couldn't trust Jerry. She wasn't going to say anything to Kendal about it, it wasn't her place to say 'I told you so' to anyone.

"You fucking bastard!" Alison shouted at him. He looked at her as she grabbed a piece of wood from the ground and ran to him. She slammed the wood onto his back. "How dare you! How fucking _dare_ you!"

"I'm not here for any of you. I'm here for this girl." Jerry pushed Alison away, he didn't need his rage inflicted on anyone else. Vinson growled and rage shot through him, but he knew he couldn't take this monster on. Alison fell back and he caught her in his arms. Jerry glared at Jessica. "Trent, do you remember what I said to you? I promised I'd find you. Do you remember that?"

"Y-Yes."

"And you know I am a man of my word, do you not?" Jessica whimpered softly as glared into her eyes. She looked into his and saw the same hint of guilt that she always remembered, what was it? "I said do you agree that I am a man of my word?"

"Yes!" Tears stung her cheeks as Jerry appeared satisfied with the answer. Vinson narrowed his eyes and charged for Jerry, screw not being able to take him on. He punched him in the face, causing him to drop Jessica to the ground. Jerry growled and grabbed his throat.

"Do you have a fucking _death wish_, gothic boy?" Vinson's eyes widened as Jerry threw him against the wall and tightened his grip. He reached to the bat that was attached with straps around his back. "You just bought yourself a beating." Jerry pulled the bat off and smirked as Alison screamed. He knew this wasn't right, but he intended to die today.

"No! Leave Vinson alone! Please!" She ran for him, but Jerry once more pushed her away, hitting a bit harder than intended. She moaned and fell to the ground as Jerry swung his bat into Vinson's chest. Vinson coughed out and fell to the ground.

"Now I'm not some common street thug, so I don't normally go ballistic on people. Don't piss me off and I won't hit you." Jerry placed his foot on Vinson's back and swung his bat in the air a couple times. Kendal watched with tears as Carly and Alison both rose up and charged for Jerry, angry at him. Jessica remained on the ground, moaning and crying. The girls grabbed Jerry's arms and held him, trying to keep him from doing anything. He growled and started to try and shake them off.

"Kendal, get her out of here!" Kendal shook her head at Alison, not wanting to leave her sister behind. Alison narrowed her eyes and growled at her. "Do it now! I'm not asking you! Don't worry about me, he's after her!" Kendal nodded and quickly lifted Jessica off the ground and ran with her around the corner, closing her eyes tightly as she heard Alison scream out. Jessica moaned softly as Kendal ran into a bathroom and sank against the wall.

"You _dated_ him? That monster?"

"I didn't know!" Kendal put her hands to her eyes and sobbed frantically. She felt so guilty. Jessica pressed her lips together and looked into the mirror, touching her bruised face tentatively. "He was always asking me these questions about Melanie, about her family." Jessica moved her eyes over to Kendal and sighed softly. It wasn't the girl's fault, she didn't know who Jerry was. Nobody knew about him. She knelt beside Kendal and wrapped her arms around her. "I trusted him. Alison never did. I usually listen to her, I always do! A sister knows these things!"

"Yeah you have to admit that's true." Jessica lifted her head up and heard Jerry calling her name. She quickly cupped her hand over Kendal's mouth to muffle her sobs. Jerry was not the type of person to let a sign on a bathroom door stop him. Once he saw his target, he kept going. "Shh, be very quiet. He _will_ come in here…" Kendal whimpered quietly as she stood up with Jessica. The two girls quickly ran into a private room that was connected to the bathroom and locked the door.

Jerry kicked the bathroom door open and looked around at the stalls. "Come here. Come to Jerry." He narrowed his eyes and slammed the bat into one of the stalls. He growled when he found it was empty. Thinking fast, he ducked under and saw all stalls were indeed empty. "You can't hide forever, Trent!" He slammed the bat into one of the mirrors, hoping the noise would cause one of the girls to scream. What was he going to do when he found her? He didn't know. He needed control.

Kendal almost screamed, but Jessica held her finger to her lips. She knew Jerry's tricks very well. Her heart pounded in her chest as Jessica scanned the room with her eyes. There had to be some way to escape them. She was already texting Shane, in hopes he was getting worried that she wasn't back yet. Now she just needed to find some way to escape from Jerry and not let Kendal become one of his abuse victims. "It was stupid of me to trust him…" Kendal's voice was a soft whisper. Jessica's face softened and she closed her eyes, feeling the sorrow for her. "Sometimes…I actually thought he _cared_ about me. Mitchel cares more…" Ah, something to talk about. To get their minds off of Jerry for the moment. Jessica was happy when she heard Shane's voice enter the bathroom, she hoped he'd keep Jerry at bay. She knelt in front of Kendal and smiled at her.

"Mitchel? Who's that?"

"He's the quarterback on our football team. He seems so conceited sometimes, but he's not. He's actually really nice…" She sniffed and wiped her nose as Jessica handed her a piece of toilet paper. She blew into the toilet paper and threw it in a trash bin. "Alison won't admit it, but even she thinks he's okay."

"So your sister likes him. Is this another one of those 'sister knows best' type things? Because I can assure you, if she trusts him enough, that means she thinks good things will happen. Sam did that for Melanie."

"Yeah, even after Freddie hurt her once…" Jessica slowly nodded her head and smiled.

"Has he hurt her since?"

"No…" Kendal moved her eyes to the side and smiled slightly. Mitchel was at the rodeo too, he was one of the riders. He was the second one to ride the bull, and he did not last a very long time at all. Shane screamed out and Jessica winced as she heard something crack. Then another voice was heard, someone she didn't recognize.

"Who's that?" Jessica cracked the door just a bit and saw someone facing off with Jerry. Shane was holding his side, but still standing. Kendal smiled and her eyes widened happily as Jessica quickly shut the door. "You know who that is?"

"It's Mitchel!"

"Oh, so that's him? He's got a good build."

"I said he was on the football team." Jessica opened the door a bit and saw Mitchel steal the bat from Jerry. Jerry roared angrily as Mitchel broke the bat with his knee and tossed it to the side. Shane then grabbed Jerry from behind and Mitchel slammed his fist into Jerry's abdomen. Jerry pushed Shane to the ground and swiftly brought his fist around and into Mitchel's face. At that, Shane grabbed one piece of the busted bat and slammed it into Jerry's head, knocking him onto the ground. The boys watched as Jerry lay unconscious, he'd been beaten. Jessica sighed with relief as Kendal looked up at her. "What's happening? What's going on out there?"

"They did it, the boys beat him to the ground!" She opened the door and practically fell into Shane's arms. Shane held her close and carefully traced her bruise.

"Jessica, I'm so sorry…"

"It's okay. Don't worry. It's okay now." Shane smiled at her and hugged her tightly. Kendal walked over to Mitchel and gazed at him curiously. He smiled at her and slowly breathed out.

"Are you okay, Kendal?"

"Yes I am. Why…how did you know to find me?" Mitchel lifted his finger up and pulled out his cell phone. Kendal looked at the screen and chuckled, he'd received a text from Alison.

"She sent me a text saying that Jerry was hurting you and that you were hiding somewhere. I went to find you and heard these two guys fighting." Kendal smiled and placed her hand over her chest. He came to help her? Alison actually trusted him to do that? Jessica looked at her and smiled kindly.

"What did I tell you? A sister knows." Mitchel raised his eyebrows in confusion as Kendal gave him a hug. She never thought that he had it in him. Perhaps she misjudged him, even Alison may have misjudged him.

"So, uh, Kendal…"

"Yes Mitchel?" She smiled at him and he rubbed the back of his neck.

"Does this mean you're not dating him anymore?" Kendal looked at Jerry and tore her gaze from him. She nodded and Mitchel let out a small sigh. "So, I know it's really soon, but…maybe when everything blows over and you're ready, you'd like to go out with me?"

"Of course, and don't be silly!" Mitchel blinked and the color in his face started to drain. "I wasn't that serious with him anyway…but if I go out with you, Alison _has_ to accept you! I'm not going to not listen to her again! If she says you can't be trusted or doesn't like you at all, then I'm sorry, we can't date." Mitchel smiled and slowly nodded his head. He understood her reasoning and would be more than willing to abide by that.

"I'll respect that." She smiled at him and Jessica watched happily as she leaned into Shane's arms.

"Thank you, Mitchel." They heard a grunting sound and Jessica's eyes widened. Something wasn't right. She looked down at Jerry and screamed as two gunshots rang out. Mitchel and Shane shouted and fell to the ground, blood coming from their legs. Kendal screamed and fell beside Mitchel. "Mitchel, no!" Jerry groaned and slowly rose from the ground, panting heavily and holding his side, he clutched his pistol in his right hand and glared angrily at Jessica. This was it, he wanted her to go out with him.

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I have to post these next couple of chapters together because they're all technically part of each other. Do review each one though ^_^. You know part of this posting is also because it took so long for me to post. I'll slow it down a bit, but I'm not going to take so long again. This is the Jerry Elliot Arc, you're about to be put in a ton of surprise


	26. Breakthrough

Boarded

A/N:

* * *

Chapter 26 (Breakthrough)

"You thought I came here with only a bat? I came here to _finish_ what I started!" Jessica's eyes widened and she took a fearful step back. She couldn't be afraid, no, he was hurting. He was always hurting. He grabbed her wrist, she pulled back and fell into the sink she screamed as her head hit the mirror and glass shattered around her, cutting her skin. Jerry's eyes widened and he quickly narrowed them, throwing out the image of her cut, ignoring it and pressing the gun into her back and cocked it, then stared at her for a minute. "No. Not yet...I..." Why was it something just didn't feel right, whenever he did this, though? Revenge sucked.

"Leave me alone, Jerry! Please!" She screamed as he pulled her from the sink and began dragging her from the bathroom, threatening Kendal to not move or else he'd shoot her as well, even though he did not really plan on it. He only shot Shane and Mitchel in the leg, they would live. He didn't have a major gripe with them, it was still only Jessica that he wanted.

"No, I don't give a shit what happens to me. You want to know what happens? My father dumps me in that fucking juvenile place…" Jerry shoved her out of the bathroom and started dragging her down the hall. "Then you kill my grandmother…"

"I didn't mean to! I was protecting my cousin!"

"Shut up!" It didn't register, but did he know the feeling of protecting a younger? Not that she would rodeo was still going on, so nobody would really notice two people dying. "Then when I get out, my father decides to throw me into that fucking _boarding school!_"

"Please Jerry, please. I know you've had it hard, but you must understand, you're not the only one!" Jerry tightened his grasp on her wrist and pushed her against a wall, glaring painfully into her eyes. He had to fight it, she had the power to calm his storm, he couldn't let it. He was too much of a monster, he was going to die here and take her with him. Selfish, yes, but he had to.

"What the fuck do you know about my life? What the fuck do you know about how hard I've had it?"

"Because I've had it hard too! So has Sam!" She fell to her knees and clasped her hands together, pleading with him. Maybe if she struck something inside him, then they could talk. There surely had to be a good bone _somewhere_. A sensitive spot that she could assuage. No man can be completely evil.

"I don't give a shit about you! Don't you understand that? I don't give a shit about your fucking 'sister' or should I say _cousin_. You don't know _anything." _All lies, every word he said were lies. He hated himself, he hated everything about himself.

"Please! Just listen to me! We can talk! You don't have to be like this!"

"Like this? Like _what?_!" Jerry eyed the cut on her head and watched as the blood dripped down. Shaking his head, he growled at her. She wasn't going to back down. She had to keep trying, she had to reach him somehow. She thought about it, what was the reason of his anger? His father? His grandmother? Something about them, something about his family life pissed him off. "You fucking contributed to the way I am!" There it was. Jessica gasped when she saw his face. There were _tears_ in his eyes! No, it wasn't her, both of them knew that very well. "You killed the one fucking thing that gave my life any meaning! You took away the very thing that made me at peace! All I had, the one person that was ever on my side! You killed her!" Something deeper, she could see it in him, she could see right through him.

"I'm sorry! I didn't know!" No, saying sorry wasn't going to do anything. Was she stupid? She's been saying that for years. Of course, his father must have been horrible to him and his grandmother must have been the one to be a haven.

"My dad wouldn't even let me keep _one _of those cats! I heard you killed her over a cat! You killed her over one of those fucking little animals! If I couldn't have one, why should you?"

"I thought she was going to attack my cousin, you would have done the same damn thing if you had a younger sibling like that!" Jerry growled vehemently and narrowed his eyes.

"She wasn't your sibling, she was your cousin."

"But we were close enough! Melanie, Sam and Myself are all like sisters! We're closer than cousins, we're _sisters!_"

"Oh yeah? Well screw and your sisters!" Jason kicked her to the ground and kicked her in the side. "Screw you, who killed my grandmother! So fuck your siblings!" Jerry's hand shook as he pointed the gun to her, tears streaked his cheeks. He couldn't do it. His hand shook as he held the gun, he couldn't do it. Jessica looked at him for a second and frowned. How could she never see it before. He would have done the same thing, wouldn't he? The look in his eyes, the rage. There was something more. She slowly stood up and gazed into his eyes. He growled and narrowed them. "What the fuck are you doing? Stay down!"

"No. Because you're an angry person, but killing…killing really isn't you." Jessica slowly cupped his hand that held the gun in her hands. He growled dangerously as she closed her eyes. "You know what it feels like too, don't you? The desire to protect someone at all costs. The same look that Sam always had in her eyes whenever she and Melanie were split apart."

"What are you getting at?" Jessica slowly exhaled and opened her eyes, gazing surely into his eyes. She didn't want to show any fear, even though she was currently terrified beyond all recognition.

"You had one too. A sibling." His eyes widened and he quickly pulled away from her, shooting a bullet past her head. She yelped and brought her hands up to her head.

"Screw you!"

"Get the hell away from her!" Someone shouted angrily. Jessica's eyes widened and Jerry looked over to see Sam running towards him. Freddie was right behind her. Jonah and Gibby were following them while Valerie and Melanie stared on in fear. All they wanted to do was come see Jessica at the rodeo, they never expected this. "Get away from her, bastard!"

"Screw you to fucking hell, _Jackie!_" Jerry grabbed Sam's wrist and narrowed his eyes. Jessica screamed out her protest as Jerry glared into Sam's now fearful eyes. Freddie roared and swept by him, crashing his fist into Jerry's face. Jonah and Gibby grabbed his arms and slammed him against the wall as Freddie pounded Jerry in the chest.

"If you want them, you go through _me_ first, you got that?" Melanie, Sam, and Jessica watched Freddie with wide eyes. The twins rushed over to Jessica and knelt beside her, wrapping their arms protectively around her. "You will leave the Pucketts alone!" Jerry laughed maniacally and tore his arms from Jonah and Gibby.

"You think I give a damn about you? I don't!" Jessica cursed and closed her eyes, she had just been about to make a breakthrough. She looked at Melanie and Sam, almost questioning who the hell Freddie was. Melanie smiled nervously as the girls stared at her. At least her boyfriend would protect them.

"So I hear you have father issues," Jonah said as he slammed his elbow into Jerry's back. He narrowed his eyes spitefully and kicked Jerry in the lower back area. "Well you know what? Fuck you too. My father's _dying!_ I'd give _anything_ to have a relationship with my dad."

"You don't know _anything!"_ Jerry crashed his fist into Jonah's chest and smacked him in the side of the head. Valerie cried out and Jonah ignored the blow. "My father was a bastard! I bet your father was nothing close to him!"

"Maybe so." Jonah wiped the blood from his head and scowled at Jerry. "But you know, maybe if you talked to him…"

"Who the fuck are you to tell me to _talk_ to my dad? You can't talk to someone like that!"

"You'd be surprised."

"Shut the fuck up!" Jerry kicked Jonah in the head. He turned around as Gibby was about to punch him and ducked, letting Gibby's punch connect with Jonah's face. He rose up and slammed his fist into Gibby's chin.

"Stop!" Jessica shouted as she rose up from the ground. Her voice rang out and everything quickly turned to silence. Everyone stared at her and Jerry huffed angrily. He puffed the air from his nostrils as she slowly walked over to him. Freddie stared protectively, as did the others. "Please, guys, just leave him alone."

"But he was hurting you." Freddie clenched his fist as Jessica slowly nodded her head. She closed her eyes and breathed out.

"I am a capable woman, Freddie. We all are. So please, just back up a bit." He respected her words and backed away from Jerry. Jonah and Gibby did the same. Jerry glared at her as she slowly cupped his hand and pushed it down.

"Jerry." She looked into his eyes and searched them, she didn't want him to attack anyone again, so she had to choose her words carefully. "Why do you act like you have an evil heart? What are you scared of, what are you protecting? Did your father do something to hurt you? Maybe he hurt your sibling? Those notes that I found in juvenile…they were about him, weren't they? Your brother?"

"S-Shut up…" Jerry's hand shook and his eyes closed. The gun in his hand fell to the ground and his fists clenched tightly shut. "Just shut up. You don't know what you're talking about."

"I do. You beat me over snooping, remember? You cried after that. I remember." It wasn't every day, he only hit her a few times. It wasn't every single day. He wouldn't admit it, but he always felt guilty, he always regretted it, but he was a monster. He hated who he'd become. A monster, his rage eating him up, controlling him. He needed an angel, but the monster in him wasn't going to let that happen.

"I don't fucking _cry_." Jerry growled vehemently and narrowed his eyes. "I get _even_."

"But you couldn't…that kills you, right? Your dad sent you away soon after juvenile, right?" Jessica looked at Sam and Melanie, her heart breaking and her voice softening. "Sam always had that same look, she wanted to protect Melanie. She used to say she was afraid that their dad was going to find her and do something while she was in Vegas, that she wouldn't be able to protect her." Jessica turned her gaze back to Jerry. He was shaking, his palms sweaty and his eyes stinging. "The same look you've always had, but I've never seen it, never realized it, until I stopped being afraid and really _looked_."

"You can stop trying to analyze me now, thank you." Jessica rolled her eyes and sighed. He was being impossible. He didn't want her to delve any further into his mind, but she wasn't having that.

"No. It's time to let it go. It's time to talk about it."

"Why the hell should I talk about it?" Jessica narrowed her eyes and slapped Jerry hard across the face. She gasped in surprise as his eyes widened and his hand reached up and touched his cheek. She didn't think she'd ever do that, and certainly not to Jerry. And it actually felt _good_.

"Whoa…I…" She felt empowered now, and Jerry was already beaten down emotionally. He didn't appear to be making any effort to strike back. She clenched her fists and narrowed her eyes. "No. I'm not sorry for that. You have absolutely _no right_ to treat me that way. I don't know your past, and I've regretted what I did for the longest time, but now it's time to move on from that. I'm not letting you hurt me, scare me any longer!' Jerry frowned as Jessica looked into his eyes, she kept her eyes soft and open. "Please talk…I know how you're feeling about your little brother."

"You can't know. You can't ever know." Jerry pressed himself against the wall and slowly sat down. The others just watched curiously as Jessica knelt next to him and placed her hand on his. He eyed her hand and felt her tenderness slipping into him. This wasn't right, this couldn't happen. He didn't like her, but that part of him, that part of him the monster in him suffocated on a daily basis. Damn it, how could he let her this close to him? He growled and shook his head

He saw Shane and Mitchel limping out of the bathroom with Kendal, she evidently knew well enough to take care of a wound. The shots had grazed them, that was all. He sighed and thought about Jessica wanting to know more about him, wanting to talk. He had no choice, but what was it about her that made him want to bear all? He groaned and closed his eyes as she looked to him. "Fine. You want to know? I'll tell you…but I swear to god, if you utter it to anybody else…I will never forgive you."

"It's between me and you, Jerry. I promise." She looked at the others and they rolled their eyes, quietly leaving earshot, but making sure to be able to still watch her. "You can talk now, Jerry."

* * *

There's one more after this that involves Jerry. So I have to upload three chapters, the last one, this one, and one after this. After that, I think I'll stop uploading for a day or two, and then put up the next one. Maybe, because it still involves him and some major stuff happening.


	27. Fathers of Terror

Boarded

A/N:

* * *

Chapter 27 (Fathers of Terror)

Young Jerry Elliot, ten years of age, sat with his little brother at the park. They weren't playing on the swing sets or anything else for that matter. No, they didn't want to play on the jungle gym. Little Kyle looked up to his brother. He was his world. "Why don't you play on the jungle gym anymore, Kyle?" He used to always love the playground, but now he stayed away from it. "Don't you want to swing?" Kyle shook his head and looked down.

"Daddy scares me, brother." Jerry pursed his lips and Kyle glanced away, not really wanting to bother his brother. Jerry knew what their dad did with the kids on the playground, they never said anything because they were afraid of being beaten. He was an almost insane man, he never touched his own children, though. At least that's what Jerry believed. "He says there are no more kids on the playground…" Jerry pressed his lips together and looked up. That was pretty much true, once parents learned there was something strange going on, the appearance of children there became less and less.

"What's the problem, Kyle?" Kyle shrugged and nestled close to his brother. He didn't want to make his brother upset, he knew Jerry was always having trouble with their dad. He didn't want to make it any worse. Sometimes Jerry would beat up the kids at school who picked on him, he was always a protective older brother. Jerry gauged his brother's silence and started to pale. It couldn't be, could it? Their dad would never do that to them, would he? "Dad hasn't done anything to you, has he?" Kyle remained silent and even though he meant otherwise, his silence spoke volumes. "Kyle…"

"What, brother?" Kyle smiled happily at Jerry and jumped from the bench, he wanted to talk about something else now. "Can we go play in the woods?" Jerry smiled warily and slowly stood up. How could he not have seen it? How long had it been going on? He was supposed to _protect_ his brother. Then a thought occurred to them. Grandma Elliot, she would gladly take little Kyle in! Jerry smiled and hugged Kyle close to him. This was how he could protect his bro! "What is it, brother? Why are you acting strange now?"

"I'm just thinking. Would you like to go see Grandma Elliot?" Kyle gasped and nodded his head rapidly. He really did want to see her and hadn't seen her in such a long time! "Okay then, I'll race you to her place! You can even play with the neighbor's girls if you want!" Kyle knew he was referring to the Trent sisters, he loved to play with them. He actually had a little crush on the older one, even though she was Jerry's age. Kyle took off running first. Laughing, Jerry ran after him and stayed behind him so that Kyle would win. "I'm going to catch you, Kyle!"

"No you're not!" Kyle stuck out his tongue as he rounded the corner. Jerry laughed and rounded the corner as well, picking up the pace just a bit. It wasn't so far from the park, but far enough that they had to stop running halfway there. Kyle smiled at his brother and made sure to walk exactly next to him. "Brother, do you think Grandma will let us have one of her kittens?" They always wanted to have one, but Tyler, their father, never let them. The man hated cats, but never mentioned why.

"You know Dad won't let us." Kyle frowned and closed his eyes. Why did he not want them to have a cat? Why was their father so mean to them? Jerry grinned and rubbed Kyle's hair. The look in his little brother's eyes was very odd, all of a sudden bleak. He frowned and looked into the sky.

"Hey Kyle, maybe those Trent girls can make you laugh. You always tell me how much fun you have with them." He met the Trent sisters a couple times, not as much as Kyle had. So he always heard great things about the two girls. Jerry did have a bit of a crush on the older Trent girl, the one his age, Jessica. Kyle smiled and nodded his head. He really wanted to see Jessica and Jackie.

"I hope they want to play. They tell me that grandma's losing it though, like she's becoming crazier. They don't go around her so much…"

"Oh? Hm…" They hadn't seen their grandmother in a while, so who really knew how she was? If the girls were afraid of her, then maybe they had a reason to be. He thought nothing of it and grinned when the two finally made it to the woman's home. When they made it inside, they found the elderly lady resting in her living room recliner chair. "Grandma!"

"Ah! Jerry, Kyle, don't scare me like that you'll give me a heart attack!" The woman laughed as she spotted her two grandchildren. She rose from her chair and moved over to them. "Tell me, what brings you two here?"

"Grandma, can Kyle stay with you for a bit?"

"Why?"

"Daddy's doing some weird things and I want Kyle to be safe." The old woman sighed and looked at her clock. Her soaps were about to come on.

"I don't know dearie, I just don't have a lot of time to play today."

"_Please_ grandma, it's important!" Kyle frowned at his brother, he didn't want to talk about what had happened. Jerry argued a bit more with the grandmother until she finally gave in. She did have one condition, and that was that she would be calling their father to pick them up in about an hour. Jerry huffed and stormed out after that, wanting to talk to his dad on his own while Kyle stayed with the old woman.

"Brother where are you going?"

"Stay with grandma, okay? I'll be back."

"But brother?"

"Stay!" Kyle slowly nodded and watched as his brother walked away. Jerry's mind was changing, his views about his own father, about life, they were starting to become darker. All that mattered to him was his brother, that was it. Nothing else mattered anymore. He would kill his father if it meant protecting Kyle.

When he made it home, he found his dad waiting for him. Tyler was sitting in his chair, tapping his foot. "Jerry, where is your brother? What took you two so long? I told you to be home ten minutes ago."

"Kyle isn't here, Dad. I know what you said. I know what you did too, and I'm not letting you hurt Kyle again!" Tyler raised his eyebrow and slowly rose from his seat, offended that his son would stand up against him. "You won't abuse anyone else, it's wrong!"

"You have some gall, talking to your _father_ in such a way!" Jerry huffed and swept his foot against Tyler's leg. Tyler shouted and jumped up. He was astonished that Jerry would do such a thing! "You would attack your own _father_?"

"Yes! I'm going to talk to Grandma and she's going to take us away from you! I know it!" Tyler raised his eyebrow and chuckled, then his chuckle turned to laughter.

"My mother? She's going crazy! She hates children. She's more bound to kill you than I am." Jerry frowned and Tyler quickly backhanded him. He shouted in pain and fell against a wall. "Sorry son, but you have to be disciplined." Jerry bit his lip and narrowed his eyes. He swallowed the blood that was trying to gush through his teeth.

"You'll see, I'm not going to let anything happen to Kyle."

"No, you won't get that opportunity."

"What? Why?" Tyler sighed and lifted his phone up. Jerry froze up and eyed the phone closely. Whenever they pissed off dad and he touched that phone, it was hardly ever a good thing. "What are you going to do, Dad?"

"I'm sending you away to a place for bad kids." Jerry paled and tried to grab at the phone, but Tyler pushed him abruptly away. It was not an hour later that Jerry was being carted away. The last thing he saw of his father was the sadistic, proud, and triumphant grin on his face. "Goodbye son, I suppose it'll be a while before I see your face around here again. You have a lot to learn and a lot of growing up to do before you disrespect your old man again."

It was not much longer in juvenile that he learned his grandmother had been murdered. He was enraged because she was supposed to take care of Kyle! Now what would happen? Who would care for Kyle? Who would watch him? Who would protect him? Jerry watched as the girl that did it was carted into prison. His eyes widened and his pulse heightened. _Jessica Trent_. "The neighbor girl?"

He hated her, he hated her for putting his brother in jeopardy. He hated her for killing their grandmother. He was seething. He wouldn't stop until he _destroyed_ her. For what she did, she had to suffer. He was about to become her worst fucking nightmare. He'd already lost himself. With the death of his grandmother, with the thought of losing his brother to that man, he wasn't himself any longer. "Fuck no. She's fucking dead!"

He spent years kicking Jessica, treating her like shit, teaching her the meaning of _fear_. But one thing remained a constant, and that was his ever care for his brother. That was the one thing that kept him human, the one thing that stopped him from feeling like a monster. He still hated Jessica, he hated that sister of hers too and swore on his grave that he would find them when he got out. He would find them and he would destroy them.

On the day that he was released, the person driving him had the radio on and Skillet was playing. Their song 'Monster' was a song that seemed to describe him, touching him. He never felt like he could relate to a song so deeply before. He couldn't help but to think that had he met Jessica before it all, he might have liked her.

When he made it home, he discovered his brother was gone. His father claimed the boy was dead, but something inside Jerry did not believe that. He snapped at that time and attacked his father once more, and that was it. His father sent him away to boarding school, never to deal with Jerry again.

When he was finished, Jerry looked up into Jessica's soft eyes and frowned, how was she not looking at him with contempt? How was she still being so fucking kind to him? It was irritating him, it was doing stuff to him, changing him. "How the hell do you have such a kindred effect on me?" Jessica smiled softly and helped him to his feet.

"It's just the way my family is. I am so, _so_ sorry for your brother…" She was in shock to hear all of the news. Not only that, but the fact that he might have liked her if they met under different circumstances. It was too late now, they'd gone through too much pain for all of that. "Your father sounds like a real asshole. I'm willing to bet you can find Kyle again, though!"

"Yeah right. How am I supposed to do that?"

"Don't you have any other relatives?"

"I never talked to them after all that. I just didn't…" Jessica closed her eyes and gave him a friendly hug, taking him by surprise. He gasped and his eyes widened immensely. He'd never felt something like this before. He didn't deserve it, he didn't deserve her kindness. So why was she being so nice to him?

"You're not a monster, Jerry. You may act like one, but you have good in your heart. I know you do." He tensed up and roughly pushed her off of him. She took a slight step back and frowned as he turned away. He felt bad enough, he didn't need her pity. "Jerry, please…listen to me, you don't have to be like this. You know, Sam and Melanie…they had a bad father too. We all know how it feels."

"Whatever." He crossed his arms and looked away, trying to figure out what he was going to do next. Maybe he should turn himself in. "I'm going…"

"Jerry, wait!" Jerry waved her off and began to walk away. Jessica would have ran after him, but Sam called for her.

"Jessica!" Jessica turned around to see the Texan Thunder standing in front of Sam and Melanie, his eyes cold and dark and his cowboy hat resting firmly upon his head. She raised her eyebrows and Jerry stopped walking to look and see what was going on. Sam stepped in front of Melanie and glared at the man.

"I thought you were _dead_." Melanie shook fearfully and the Thunder smirked through his mustache. It was their father, and for some reason, he had not truly drowned like everybody thought.

"Looks like they got it wrong, cause I'm alive and well, and in hidin' too." Jessica's jaw dropped as the girls backed up, their worst nightmare having finally appeared before them.

* * *

The girls dad is still alive, there's a shocking twist. The next chapter is going to be quite long, but it's a very big developing moment. The next few chapters will have major character development. So stick around.


	28. Redemption

Boarded

A/N:Decided I couldn't wait to post this one!

* * *

Chapter 28 (Redemption)

Hector, the "Texan Thunder" as he was called, grinned at his two daughters who stood in front of him. He never thought he'd see them again. When he 'died' it was the last he would see of them. That friend of Pam's beat the shit out of him and brought a deal up with him, leave town forever and fake his death, and the guy would play a role in making him become something. He agreed, drowned, and became the Texan Thunder. "Fancy seeing you two girls here. Sam, Melanie, how is your mother?"

"You're supposed to be dead, asshole!" Sam growled venomously and narrowed her eyes. Had they not escaped him?

"Sorry, your mother's friend made a mistake. My death was only faked so that I could become this famous figure." Sam growled and clenched her fists, more than ready to strike this man down. He was _not_ her father, not in her mind. "Aren't you happy to know that your dad's still alive?" Sam scowled and drew her lips into a smirk.

"You're no dad, you're just the man that contributed the sperm." Hector's eyes widened and Melanie stared at her sister in shock at the provocation. Was Sam an _idiot_? No, she wasn't, but she knew how Hector was. Sam took a mighty step forward, her chest heaving and air seeping from her nostrils. "You should have died all those years ago. You shouldn't have _lived!_" She was livid, losing control. She knew she had to protect Melanie, though. She wasn't going to let him hurt Melanie. "So back the fuck up, _dad_, and leave us be." Hector roared and grabbed Sam's face, pushing her against the wall. She yelped as he glared into her eyes.

"How dare you talk to me like that! I guess your mother never taught you _respect!_" Jerry's eyes widened as the other men started to spring to action. Gibby grabbed for Hector's arm, but this man had to be ten times his size. It mattered not, he wasn't going to let him lay a finger on Sam. The second Freddie charged into action, Jonah dove in as well. He wasn't going to let his best friend fight without some help. Hector threw Sam to the ground and spun around, twisting his fist around and slamming it into Gibby's chest. "I don't approve of you."

"Nice…" Gibby shook his head, feeling a bit winded from the blow. His vision was a tad blurry, so he smacked himself a couple times. When his vision adjusted back to normal, he charged Hector once more. "I don't care what you think of me. You lay a hand on my girlfriend, then I kick your fucking ass!" Freddie and Jonah were on Hector's sides and they delivered a flurry of punches to him. Hector roared and grabbed Gibby's shirt with one hand, then tossed him overhead. "No!"

"You're nothing!" Gibby crashed into a wall and Sam hurried over to him. She was frantic, didn't want to lose him to her father and needed to ensure that he didn't have a broken neck. Gibby's eyelids rose and fell several times before he finally picked himself up. A bit disoriented, he shook himself and slapped his face a few more times.

"You asshole! Freddie, Jonah, this is _my_ fight now!" Freddie and Jonah were both in the process of getting beaten by this maniac, so they were happy to hear Gibby was tagging them out. Hector frowned and shoved them aside as Gibby glared him down. Smirking, he decided to let an old saying rip out. "Gibby." Hector raised his eyebrow as the youth ran into him and hugged his waist with one arm. He managed to push Hector against the wall and deliver a knee kick to his abdomen. Hector moved his eyes down and spotted the gun Jerry dropped. He smirked and looked into Gibby's eyes.

"See you, punk." Hector ducked down and Sam saw where he was going, she shouted out for Gibby, but it was too late. Hector grabbed the gun and rose up, firing a shot into Gibby's side. Gibby shouted and fell to the ground, clutching his side and breathing in sharply. Fear pulsed through Sam as her eyes widened. Seeing the blood on the floor, seeing Gibby as he was, something snapped inside of her. She wanted to kill her father, she was seething!

"Fuck…I've been hit." Sam ran to his side, seeing he was more important than that. Jerry watched with a frown and narrowed his eyes. This man was horrible. Fathers sucked, simple as that. Was there a father on earth that was perfect, though? No. There was no father on earth that would ever make a damn difference. Not in his eyes. Hector started moving to Melanie, but Freddie stepped into the way. Hector had slammed him to the ground and continued moving forward. "Sam…" Gibby gasped and Sam gazed tearfully at him. Jerry watched them closely. "I…I need to tell you something. You might hate me." Sam shook her head, tears dripping down her cheeks.

"Never. I'll never hate you!"

Alison, Carly, and Vinson made their way to the group and stopped when they saw what was going on. Alison and Kendal could not believe that the _Texan Thunder_ was hurting people. He was their hero! Alison was seething. "What the hell are you doing?" Hector stopped and looked over at her with a frown. Alison pointed angrily at him and growled. "You're the fucking Texan Thunder, a hero, and you're…you're…" Gibby groaned, trying to ignore the yelling that was going on. He had enough of a headache. Sam clenched his hand tightly and looked into his eyes, she wasn't going to let him go. Jerry pressed his lips together as he stared at Gibby, his eyebrows rising.

"Alison!" Melanie exclaimed tearfully. Alison stopped and looked at her with concern. Melanie nudged her head towards Hector and frowned. "He's our _dad_." Alison froze and her mouth fell, her eyes widening as she felt herself becoming limp. Hector smirked and started to approach Alison, not taking too kindly to the intrusion. Melanie screamed at him, but he wasn't backing down. "Stay away from them! Stay away from my friends! Stop it! Stop it please!" Alison's heart started pounding as the behemoth gradually stepped within inches of her. She wasn't going to back down, not at all. Her face became determined and her fists clenched. "Alison, run! Run! My god, please run! Turn around and go away, Alison! Now! You don't know him! Don't stand up to him!" Sam looked up, wanting to get involved, but she knew what Gibby had to say was important too. Shane and Mitchel were about to get involved, but their legs were too damaged for any serious fighting.

"Make it fast Gibby…" Gibby closed his eyes and tilted his head back, slowly exhaling. Jerry frowned and tore off his shirt, then threw it to Sam, who pressed it against Gibby's wound at Jerry's order. Gibby clenched his teeth and looked at Jerry. "I'm still very _pissed_ at you, and you know it!" Sam pressed down more firmly, causing pain to shoot through Gibby's body. "Ah!"

"Just talk, Gibby." Griffin wasn't so badly beaten that he couldn't fight. He was no coward. He dove around the corner and charged towards Hector, punching the man in the face. Hector shouted and kicked him in the side, then slammed his elbow into Griffin's back. "Hurry it up. I really don't want pops over there to…you know…kill everybody."

"I've never told you this, because like you, I too was afraid of my past. I didn't want to think about it, I didn't even want to remember it. To me, it was nonexistent. Never happened, was never there." Sam's brow furrowed as Jerry lifted his head up. Gibby groaned and glared back towards Hector for a second. Alison was engaging him in a fight, and doing very well dodging his blows. Gibby breathed out and looked back at Sam, seeing her wide and concerned eyes. God he loved those eyes, he never wanted to lose her. "Then it came back…I didn't know you were, you, until I learned about Jessica, and about everything that happened to her. When I learned what happened to her, I couldn't tell you, for fear that you would hate me too."

"What are you saying, Gibby?" Jerry's eyes widened and Jessica froze up. Their thoughts were reeling, thrown around like a blizzard in their minds. How could he not have seen it before? How could he not have seen it? Gibby was much more muscular, he had also gained quite a bit of weight. Jerry narrowed his eyes and stared at him. His hair was a lot shorter and his face had become a bit rounder. How long had it been? How many years had it been? Jessica slowly looked at Jerry, realizing the same thing.

"My father was an abusive asshole, sick child molester. My grandmother was a senile, old, angry bitch…and my I learned to fight from watching my brother beat up the school bullies." Jerry's hands shook and tightly closed, his eyes narrowing to slits as he turned his glare to Hector. "I am Kyle." Sam froze and her eyes widened. She had tried not to be, but she had been within earshot of Jerry's tale. Angry? Yes she was, but she couldn't blame him. She shouldn't blame him. She knew that. He had every right to keep that information from her, thinking she might hate him for what Jerry had done to Jessica. Even he was pissed off with Jerry for that. "I looked up to my brother so much, I just couldn't _believe_ that he would hurt Jessica." Jerry closed his eyes and cursed under his breath. Jessica rested her hand calmly on his shoulder and he shrugged her hand off.

"Gibby, I…"

"The brother I knew would never have done all those things." Gibby remained within earshot of Jerry when he told his tale, that was how Sam heard it too, she had remained near him. "Then I heard him talking to Jessica…I knew why he'd done those things." Gibby locked his eyes with Jerry and tried to ignore his bleeding side. "You lost everything, you thought you had. You weren't right to attack Jessica, but you weren't in the right mind. It's okay now. I understand. I forgive you, brother…but you have to forgive yourself…"

Sam looked at Jerry and slowly nodded, tears in her eyes. Both she and Jessica understood Jerry's past. He deserved a second chance, and they knew it. He was ready to go to jail, but he had so many questions now. He glanced at Hector, who had finally grabbed Alison. Melanie was screaming as Hector slammed her friend into a wall. Thoughts of his own father flew through his mind as rage tore through him. He pulled his lips back and called Hector out.

"Hey bastard! Over here!" Everybody froze as Hector slowly turned to Jerry. Jerry pumped his fist into his palm and smirked. "Let's play ball. I'll tear you limb from limb, freak." Jerry ran for Hector. Hector made a grab for him, but Jerry pulled off a move of baseball runners and slid in between the man's legs. "This is for shooting my brother right in front of my face!" Jerry rose up and slammed his elbow into the back of Hector's head.

"Punk, all I want is to talk to my daughters."

"They don't want to talk to you!" Hector threw another punch towards Jerry, but he skidded past him on his knees. Frustrated, Hector aimed a shot at Jerry and fired, but missed him. The shot was so close that it did graze his shoulder. Jerry placed his hand to his shoulder, thinking he'd been hit, but realized otherwise when he heard Jessica scream. His eyes widened and he looked over to see Jessica kneeling on the ground, Shane now resting in her arms.

"No, Shane, no!" Jessica's world came crashing down in an instant. Shane had been shot, the bullet hit his chest. But how? He was nowhere near Jerry at the time. Jerry rose to his feet and watched Jessica bawl her eyes out. He felt a twinge of pain hit him. He'd seen her cry before, but always at his hand. He felt guilty about that. Now she was crying, someone else was at fault, and it pissed him off. Rage burned his eyes as he turned his attention to Hector.

"How dare you!" Hector smirked and crossed his arms over, keeping his expression smug as always.

"It wasn't I that shot him." Jerry clenched his fists tightly, his chest heaved violently. If it wasn't Hector, then who was it? "It was my bodyguard." Gibby gasped out, seeing the person who had arrived on the scene. Jerry turned around and froze upon seeing the bodyguard. Tyler.

"Hello Son. I guess I didn't tell you, I got hired on a year or so ago as the bodyguard for the Texan Thunder." Tyler looked at Gibby, then slowly shifted his cold beady eyes to Jerry. "Kyle let himself go over the years, but I see you're still skinny like you were as a child."

"You fucking shut up!" He knew his father was just trying to provoke him, but it wasn't going to work.

"You know something? That girl right there…" Tyler pointed to Jessica, who lifted her eyes up to him and growled vehemently. "She ratted me out."

"What?" Jerry's eyes widened and he looked suddenly at Jessica. How could she have known? How could she have possibly done anything? He growled and turned his angry eyes to Tyler. "How the fuck would she have known anything?"

"Because Kyle told her. She told those fucking detectives…Grissom and Willows…"

"Then why the _hell_ aren't you in jail?"

"They couldn't find enough proof, but they did end up taking Kyle away from me." Gibby shifted his eyes to the side as Tyler aimed his gun for Jessica's head. Tyler narrowed his eyes and scowled as she gasped, her eyes widening and terror flooding her. "I was aiming for the bitch, but her boyfriend saw me first and stepped in the way." He cocked the gun back and licked his lips. "You're dead, Trent."

"No!" Jessica screamed and buried her head down, her body shaking horribly. The words rang through Jerry's head and he quickly stepped in front of Jessica, glaring down his father. Jessica gasped and looked up at him. "Jerry? What are you doing?"

"I'm not going to let him hurt you. No one's going to hurt you anymore…I promise." Jessica swallowed and closed her eyes, tears streamed down her cheeks. Jerry was _protecting_ her. What had the world come to that he would protect her? Jerry glared at his father, who lowered his gun a bit. "Pops, all of this is your fault. You're the reason I turned into a fucking monster. It's _your fucking fault!_" Tyler tilted his head as Jerry reached into his pant pocket, narrowing his eyes dangerously. "When I was a kid I had a crush on this girl…but because of you, I hurt her so much that I don't think I deserve her forgiveness or even her kindness. You hurt my brother as well. So you know what, _Dad_?" His tone was filled with so much scorn, so much contempt and hate.

"What, son?"

"I…_hate _you!" Jerry pulled his hand from his pocket and ran into his father, shouldering him and pinning him to the wall. In his hand was a pocketknife, which he held to his father's throat. Tyler grunted and the others watched in a bewildered haze. "I should kill you right here, right now. I really should. You've made me hated by so many people. You've ruined my life, fucked my life in so many ways…I don't know you anymore, I never did." Nobody was aware of the running footsteps, or the sound of guns cocking. "If I killed you right now, I would have self-defense. But I'm unlike you…I actually _do_ have feelings. You..._You're_ the monster here, not _me!_"

"If that's what you say son. But before it all ends here, I'd like to let you in on a little secret." Tyler lifted his gun up and held it just inches away from Jerry's side, slanting it so the bullet would go through his heart as well. Jessica's eyes widened and she shouted out.

"Jerry! His gun! He's going to shoot you!" Jerry ignored her and glared into Tyler's eyes, lowering his knife a bit.

"Talk, old man."

"You know your grandmother? How she died? How did she die?"

"Stabbed with a pen by a ten year old girl…" Jessica closed her eyes and frowned as Tyler started to laugh.

"Funny, she was alive last I checked." Jessica's eyes opened and she lifted them swiftly to him. What did that mean? She was _alive_? The blow didn't kill her? Jerry narrowed his eyes curiously as Tyler smirked. "You really think a ten year old girl has enough to puncture that deeply?" Jerry was confused, he looked to Jessica, who was beginning to shake horribly. Gibby moaned and slowly stood up, fighting the pain.

"Jerry. Grandma was going to take me, it took a long time to convince her, but…Jackie and I managed to talk her into it." Jerry's eyes widened and he quickly looked to Tyler in fury. Motive. There was the motive.

"No…no, that can't be. Everything I…" Tyler smirked and slowly cocked his gun, his eyes narrowing dangerously. Hector shouted as someone cuffed him. Officers were surrounding the area now, but nobody was paying any attention to them.

"I witnessed the kids stab your grandmother." Opportunity, that was the opportunity for murder. "So I used it. With a glove on my hand, I grabbed the pen. I'll never forget seeing my mother gasping for air." Jerry's body began to shake as tears started to sting his eyes. He could have saved her, Tyler could have fucking saved the old woman! She could have _lived?_ "And I shoved it into the same little hole, making it deeper. The neighbor kid's prints were already all over the pen, so I just had to concoct a story and make sure I had a solid alibi."

"Y-You…" Jerry gripped his pocketknife tightly as Jessica shook her head in disbelief. She went to jail for _nothing!_ She went to prison for no reason, all for a sick man! Jerry lost it, he hurt Jessica, and for what? For nothing! Everything he knew was wrong! "MONSTER!" He was going to be sick, he was going to puke.

"Oh, and I tried to go after that little Trent bitch, but damn cops worked faster than I thought they would." Jessica gasped and clutched her chest. Had she been at risk of becoming one of Tyler's next victims? No, that just couldn't be. Jerry roared with anger and pushed Tyler's hand away, with his free hand, just as Tyler pulled the trigger. This made the bullet fly into the ceiling. In an instant, Jerry punched his knife into Tyler's side. Not wanting to kill him, but to make him suffer. Tyler grunted as Jerry turned away from him and the officers quickly got to Tyler, having been waiting and taking care of the wounded before jumping in.

There were so many questions that needed to be answered, so many things that needed to be focused on, but right now nobody could think. Jerry stepped next to Jessica as the paramedics carted Shane away on a stretcher. "I'm sorry Jessica. There are so many things…sorry just isn't enough…" Jessica wiped her eyes and stared straight ahead. 

"You didn't know, Jeremy. Nobody did. It wasn't your fault." Jerry lifted his head and sighed. Jeremy. He hadn't heard that name in such a long time. He never went with his full name, always the shortening of it. "I don't even know what to think right now. Just..." She looked at the others, everyone was assessing their own wounds. Gibby looked up from the stretcher he was sitting on, the paramedic was cleaning up his wound. He looked at Jerry and smiled slightly. Sam was right next to him. "You're getting a second chance. Take it. I don't think anybody's going to tell anyone what you did here today…so just…take the chance to live and be happy."

"How can I be happy? I've let everything ruin my own life." Jessica turned to face him, looking seriously into his eyes. He frowned at her and sighed. "I'm a beast, a monster."

"No you're not. You're just a bit messed up because of the things you were led to believe. Your father's the monster, _not you_." Jessica took his hand and smiled kindly at him. Her tenderness touched him once more and it felt strange. "You're a great baseball player, from what I hear. You do well in your studies, from what my cousin says. I know you can have a chance at a life, we all can if we will it. You just have to want it. You can be happy, Jerry."

"Why the hell are you being so nice to me? I'm a monster, I fucking hurt you! You never deserved it, and I...I can't believe I would ever have...God..." Jessica closed her eyes and slowly exhaled once more, remaining calm and not letting herself be afraid of him anymore. She couldn't.

"Because that's not who you are. You're someone who cares very much for your little brother. You're a strong, determined person. You _do_ have a good heart, whether you're willing to see it or not." Jerry frowned and tore away from her, her words were implanted into his mind and replaying constantly. How could he make his life better? Was it not already ruined beyond the point of no return?

Jerry walked over to Gibby and Sam. Gibby looked at him and straightened himself up, wanting to appear as though the shot didn't hurt at all. Sam looked at Jerry, her eyes not filled with any contempt whatsoever. As far as she was concerned, he saved them. He saved her sisters. She didn't really know what to think about him right now, but maybe she could ease up to him if she ever met him again. "Kyle…Gibby…whatever you prefer…" Gibby smiled slightly as Jerry closed his eyes. "I am glad you are happy now. As for you Jackie, or well…Sam. As surprised as I am by this…I'm glad that you and Kyle are together. Don't leave him because of me, don't hurt him like that, do you understand me?"

"I would never do that." Gibby smiled at Sam and squeezed her hand. Jerry smiled and nodded his head. Jessica was stunned to see a smile on his face for even a second.

"I have some things to think about right now…" He took one last look at everyone, pushed his hands into his pockets, and slowly walked away from the area, stopping only to glance at Kendal. "Kendal, I'm sorry for using you." Kendal placed her hand over her chest as Jerry looked ahead and sighed. "It isn't something I should have done, nor would have done if…things were different." He felt so confused, his feelings were all jumbled up. Hell, he was even remembering why he crushed on Jessica when he was younger. He couldn't have that, no, it wasn't allowed. He lifted his finger up and tapped a tear from his face, growling as he closed his eyes. "Sometimes I wish dad never ran mom off." He continued walking, ignoring those who called out to him. He could talk to them later, right now, he just wanted to be alone.

* * *

And so the arc of Jessica and Jerry begins. Your view on Jerry will probably end up changing in the next few chapters as we see some MAJOR character development. Next chapter is a sad one and we see a different side to him. We start to see his _true_ colors.


	29. Her Forgiveness

Boarded

A/N: Just because I kinda want to see Lantern's reaction to him sooner, I'm uploading chapter 29 and THEN taking my break XD. This chapter is just the surface.

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Chapter 29 (Her Forgiveness)

A few days later, everybody was attending a funeral. They were able to adjust to the wounds they received and healing well, but it was not a happy time. Shane did not recover from his wound he received to his chest. There was not a dry eye during the whole procession. Jessica couldn't believe she lost him, she couldn't understand why something so terrible would have happened. Her cousins made sure to stay with her the entire time, to make sure she was doing well. They hadn't even mentioned that Freddie and Melanie were more than just dating now, it would have been inappropriately timed.

When the funeral was over, everyone stood around the grave for the longest time, slowly departing one after another until it was just Jessica and her cousins. "Please, let me have some time." Melanie and Sam nodded their heads, able to respect their cousin's wish, and left the area. "Thank you." The wind blew through Jessica's hair as her long black dress swayed and folded. She wasn't the type to wear black, but today called for it. She wiped her eyes and stared down at Shane's headstone. She heard leaves rustling behind her and thought nothing of it, blaming the wind.

"It was too soon." Jessica continued to stare at the tombstone as Jerry stepped next to her, wearing a black suit and tie. He had been at the funeral the entire time, she noticed and appreciated it, though she didn't think anyone else noticed. He tried to blend in, to not be noticed, unsure if it was his place to even be there. "You think you meet your soul mate, and then something tears that away from you…" Jessica closed her eyes and sighed. She cared deeply for Shane, she wasn't sure if she'd say he was her soul mate, but she truly cared for him. "I'm sorry, Jessica. For this, for everything."

"It's not your fault, Jerry." He closed his eyes and frowned, he didn't want to go by that anymore. He liked his full name now, preferring it over Jerry any day. After all, it had been some time since he'd been Jeremy. Jerry was angry, Jerry was violent, Jerry was the product of his father. "You shouldn't blame yourself. There was never any way to know. You did everything you could, and whether you want to admit it or not…" She moved her eyes from Shane's grave and to him. "You saved us, you saved me, and that means a lot. I know it means a lot to my cousins." He frowned and knelt down next to the grave, placing a small flower in the cup on Shane's marker. The corners of Jessica's lips lifted a small amount as Jeremy "Jerry" Elliot gazed at the marker. "I think Shane would be grateful for what you've done too. It shows who you really are inside, not who your father made you become, the person that fed off of all that anger that your father made. You're a good person, Jerry."

"My full name is Jeremy, call me that. Don't call me by that other name anymore." Jeremy stood up and lifted his eyes into the sky. "John 13:7, and Jesus replied, you do not realize now what I am doing, but later you will understand." The words rang in Jessica's ears. She didn't know Jeremy knew scripture. Jessica turned to him and watched as the wind breezed his bangs from his face. He looked over at her and met her eyes.

"Psalm 18:2, the Lord is my rock, my fortress, and my deliverer; my God is my rock, in whom I take refuge. He is my shield and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold." Jeremy lifted his eyebrows up and turned to face her fully, surprised by her.

"Psalm 71:20-21, though you have made me see troubles, many and bitter, you will restore my life again; from the depths of the earth you will again bring me up. You will increase my honor and comfort me once again." It was his mother's favorite verse, he remembered that as the first verse he ever learned. Jessica thought it interesting that he knew the verse. Maybe he'd spent some time praying? Maybe spent some time reading the scripture.

"Psalm 138:7, do you know it?" Jeremy nodded his head as Jessica recited it. "Though I walk in the midst of trouble, you preserve my life; you stretch out your hand against the anger of my foes, with your right hand you save me." Jeremy rubbed his chin and swayed his body a bit, giving just a small hint of a smile.

"Isaiah 49:14-16. But Zion said, 'the Lord has forsaken me, the Lord has forgotten me.'" Jessica frowned and lifted up her finger, halting him. She took a deep breath and finished the verse.

"Can a mother forget the baby at her breast and have no compassion on the child she has borne? Though she may forget, I will not forget you! See, I have engraved you on the palms of my hands; your walls are ever before me." Jeremy nodded, feeling a bit proud inside. He closed his eyes and thought of another verse.

"Isaiah 66:12-14. For this is what the Lord says: 'I will extend peace to her like a river, and the wealth of nations like a flooding stream; you will nurse and be carried on her arm and dandled on her knees. As a mother comforts her child, so I will comfort you; and you will be comforted over Jerusalem.' When you see this, your heart will rejoice and you will flourish like grass; the hand of the Lord will be made known to his servants, but his fury will be shown to his foes." Would God really care for him? Would it really make any difference. He frowned as the sun's light passed over his face. "God probably hates me…"

"No." Jessica shook her head and closed her eyes, a specific verse coming to her mind. "Lamentations 3:31-33." Jeremy lifted his eyebrows as the cool breeze hit his face. "For men are not cast off by the Lord forever. Though he brings grief, he will show compassion, so great is his unfailing love. For he does not willingly bring affliction or grief to the children of men."

"Nahum 1:7. The Lord is good, a refuge in times of trouble. He cares for those who trust him…"

"Matthew 5:4. Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted."

"John 14:27. Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid."

"1 Peter 5:6-7. Humble yourselves, therefore, under God's mighty hand, that he may lift you up in due time. Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for _you_." Jeremy and Jessica stared into each other's eyes as the sun remained high in the sky and the leaves rustled with the wind. They spoke one final verse together. "Revelation 21:4." They both recited it.

"He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away."

"I didn't know you knew enough scripture to quote it like that, Jeremy. It's impressive…" Jeremy looked down and shrugged his shoulders. Jessica gently placed her hand upon his shoulder, making him lift his eyes to hers. "There's nothing wrong with being able to quote scripture."

"I know. It's just…it was something my mother always did. She played the organ every Sunday in church when I was a kid. Kyle barely even remembers her." A pang of sadness hit her and she closed her eyes.

"What happened to her?"

"I don't know. Dad kicked her out of the house when we were young. We always thought one thing, but I see that it was a completely different thing." Their mother loved them, cared for them and was the one thing keeping their father at bay.

"Do you mind telling me? It's just between us two." Jeremy raised his eyebrow and sighed as he turned away momentarily.

"What is it about you that makes me so willing to spill my life story? My mother was the type of woman who had the most kindred soul ever, she always loved us, her children. Dad always yelled at her and eventually he divorced her. How he gained custody of us, I don't know, but we hadn't been allowed to see her since the divorce…" He closed his hands up and the tears stung his eyes. Jessica frowned and shook her head. How could someone be so horrible? "I…I kind of want to find her." She smiled as Jeremy tilted his head to the side. If he could find his mother, maybe things would feel different? Would she be so accepting of him? So willing to love him? "If she would even want to see me, though."

"Why wouldn't she? A mother's love never ends…no matter what…"

"Then why hasn't she ever tried to find me? Why not Kyle? Why did she not fight Tyler?" Anger flashed across his face and the questions came hurtling through his mind. Jessica took his hand and instantly he stopped, slowly exhaling. His anger was justified though, the flurry of questions was normal. He didn't have to be afraid, that was what Jessica wanted to emphasize.

"Shh. You don't know what happened, you were just a child. I'm willing to bet she's out there and thinks of her children constantly. And who knows, maybe she's closer than you think. Have you even talked to your little brother yet?" She was the first person he spoke to since the events a few days prior, he still had a lot to clear up. Everybody had to fly to Vegas for the funeral and in a few days everyone would be flying back to their own homes. "There's a lot of stuff that needs to be situated right now, and I think everyone's just waiting…"

"When is everyone planning on going back to their own homes?"

"I don't know. I think it just depends. Like Freddie and Melanie have a few extra days for the funeral, but not many. Jonah can't stay very many days because he wants to get back home for his own reasons."

"Seems like we're all just filled with a shitload of problems…" The two stared down at Shane's grave and remained silent. True, everyone had their troubles, but it was how you dealt with it that really mattered.

"It's how you cope, I suppose, that determines everything. Like right now, Shane wouldn't want me to be sad, he wouldn't want me to be depressed. He would want me to keep going onward with my life."

"He seems like a good man."

"He was." Jeremy looked at Jessica and smiled at the purple bows in her hair. She looked nice. He frowned and looked away. It was inappropriate of him to be attracted to her, wasn't it? Was he still, after all these years? He felt sick to his stomach that he had hurt her, and knowing it was for nothing. He would never have hurt her, why had he done what he did? "Jeremy, I'm going to head home…everyone's probably waiting there for me now."

"Yeah."

"It was…nice." Jeremy looked at her with curiosity as she slowly lifted her head. She inhaled and smiled gently at her. "To _talk_ to you."

"Thanks." His cheeks turned a very tiny hint of red and he cussed mentally while shaking that off. He tried to lump coals of guilt upon himself, but he couldn't. "Um…those bows look pretty in your hair." He blinked and squinted his eyes. That sounded much better in his mind than when he said it. "Your hair looks nice with them." She chuckled and turned around, walked a few feet and stopped to glance back.

"Thanks. You really are a sweet person…see, you are a good person." He rolled his eyes and stared down at Shane's tombstone as Jessica left.

"Maybe…" His voice was a whisper. He closed his eyes and sighed, she really was too gentle of a person. With everything, she should hate him. They all should hate him. They didn't. Now they all knew about his past. Damn his father for showing up when he did. "I was a monster…and you don't hate me." He felt a sense of peace, a sense of calmness, like she had forgiven him for everything. Did he deserve that forgiveness? After all the things he had done. He was even afraid to talk to his little brother. But he wasn't the type to run and hide, he had to talk to them at some point of time. He owed them that much. It was time for him to un-board his heart.

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It took a bit of a spiritual turn, yes, but I'm not afraid to include a bit of spirituality. Shane's dead :(.


	30. Best Friends Depart

Boarded

A/N:

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Chapter 30 (Best Friends Depart)

Carly and Sam walked silently across the boulevard, marching down the busy streets. Everything seemed to be in constant, fluid motion. So unlike them, however, where their minds were stuck in pause. They didn't know what to say to each other, all except for the truth. They knew they needed to be open, they needed to be honest with one another. It had been so long since they talked, and it was clear that both of them had gone through some changes. Sam, not so much, but with Carly, everything was different. "So, Jessica told me what happened at the rodeo…"

"She did?" Carly frowned and lowered her eyes. She knew she would have been wrong to expect Jessica to keep all that to herself, she figured with how close the girls were that Jessica would have told Sam everything.

"Yes, but she wants you to know that she's sorry for blowing up at you."

"She had that right…" Sam slowly nodded her head and eyed Carly, scaling her eyes up and down. She couldn't believe what she was seeing. This was the girl that had once been her very best friend. Carly had actually been a bit away from the group during the funeral yesterday, not saying a word through the entire thing. What was she supposed to say, anyway? Hey Sam I haven't talked to you in so long how are you? Well that wasn't going to happen. "I hope you tell her she doesn't need to feel guilty about that. She got angry and had every right to be…" Sam smiled slightly and closed her eyes. It felt really good to hear that from her. "Things have just been really crazy, too crazy."

"Thanks, I'll be sure to tell her that." The two stopped at the edge of a street. They had been watching a movie together, trying to feel something, anything at all. Unfortunately they didn't feel anything more than awkwardness. When they weren't watching the movie, all Carly wanted to talk about was Griffin, and a variety of things Sam just had no interest in. She tried desperately to find things that they had in common, so did Carly. They had to acknowledge that they'd grown apart, and that was the hardest thing to do. Sam just wasn't interested in the things she used to be, she was more interested in taking care of family, more interested in being close to her family while Carly seemed to be turning into a party girl. "You know, you've never had all that crap going on in your life."

"I know." Carly and Sam looked up into the sky, watching birds dancing in circles in the air. Sam smiled as she watched them, Carly tore her gaze away and watched the cars flying by her. "I guess that's why I feel like I can be so loose, so apt to go out and have fun." She didn't mean to make it sound like Sam couldn't do that, Sam could, but she chose not to. "I mean…"

"I know what you mean, Carly. I'm getting a bit more laid back now. Being with Gibby and all." Sam smiled as the two birds flapped their wings and flew apart. It was all a part of growing up, growing out of your friends. "Mom's going to have a heart attack when I get home. She wants Melanie home too, but Mel doesn't want to leave school." Carly could understand that, Melanie was missing enough school as it was, so it would be better for her to stay than go.

"Spencer's pissed off with me, wants me home. Marissa's upset, but not to the point where she wants to force Freddie back." Sam smiled and slowly nodded her head. This was a big step for the woman. An admirable one, nonetheless. The cars stopped and the girls were able to cross the street. They weren't far from Jessica's place. Carly stayed at a hotel, like a lot of those there were doing. Alison, Vinson, Kendal and Mitchel were back home, because they didn't know Shane that much. They wanted to be there for support, but there were circumstances that prevented it. Jonah and Valerie were staying at a motel for a bit, they'd be going home in about two to three days. Gibby, Sam, Melanie and Freddie were staying with Jessica. "Griffin and I are leaving tomorrow, Sam…"

"Oh?" Carly nodded as the two continued their walk in silence. They remained quiet, unable to really say anything, until they came to the part of the road they would normally split. The girls faced each other and sighed, both knowing this spot meant more than just a simple farewell, see you tomorrow, type conversation. "We've really grown apart, Carly…"

"I know." Tears stung Carly's eyes, but she knew this was coming. They didn't want to end up drifting apart without any word to one another, but they knew at the rate they were going, they were doomed to do just that. "We're growing in separate directions, aren't we?" Sam slowly nodded her head as Carly closed her eyes and bowed hers. "This moment is more than just see you later, isn't it. It's about where we're going." Sam pressed her lips together and locked her eyes with Carly. Every bone in her body was wishing it didn't have to happen this way, but too much had happened and too much had been said. "We'll always still be…"

"Hallway friends." Carly frowned as Sam's eyes drifted down. Hallway friends usually referred to the people you saw in your school hallways or apartment hallways that you waved to and said hello. Often, you knew their name, had a past with them, but didn't talk to them much anymore. "You'll go back to the hotel with Griffin, you'll be a party girl until you're ready to settle down."

"And you'll go back to your sister's home, a girl ready to settle with her family, with her friends. A girl who knows your place in this world…" Neither girl knew their place in the world all that well, but Sam had more of an idea than Carly. She at least knew what she wanted to do with her life, where she wanted to be, what she wanted to do. She had to slow down, she had to enjoy the pleasant things in life, like birds in flight. "I'm too fast paced now…" Carly didn't want to just sit and enjoy the small things, she wanted to get out and have fun. Sam sniffed and wiped her eye.

"You know, I may go ahead and add you to facebook or something." Carly frowned and pulled her lips back. Did she really want to be changed to a facebook friend? Someone who sometimes didn't even get a single hello, someone who just got application invites, random crap like that? Did she really want to witness a dying ember that was their friendship over the years? She could see it now, friends on facebook. Talking, posting comments, and soon life would get in the way for them. They'd talk less. Eventually sometimes random application invites, such as 20 truths. Then even those would stop, and communication would fade away. Maybe a year or two would pass, maybe more, then one would look and wonder why they were even on the list anymore and they'd remove the person. Then maybe some time would pass, maybe a reminder would come and someone would wonder why they weren't friends on facebook anymore.

Sam read Carly's eyes, she could tell what Carly was thinking about. She had the same reservations about facebook. To her, it was like witnessing a painful death as it happened. Why prolong it? She knew their friendship would die on there. It was best to end it here and now. "Maybe facebook wouldn't be the best route." The best things they could talk about was iCarly, and even that wasn't interesting anymore. "You remember that time we all broke into detention?" Sam's face fell, but a small smile appeared on her lips at the memory.

"Carly…so long ago. We were younger then. I…I have to go, Carly…" Sam sniffed as she and Carly both hugged each other tightly. They choked back a sob and allowed the salty tears to drip past their cheekbones. "Maybe we'll chat at school sometime, if you're not too involved with the popular kids."

"Will you come to my cheerleader tryouts, see me make the team for next year?" Sam took a step back and thought, Carly's words reminded her of the change. She wanted to be there for support, but she couldn't bear it if she went. It would be too hard for her. Carly used to hate cheerleaders, believing them to be shallow and uninteresting. Now she was accepted by the cheerleaders and they pretty much kept Sam at bay. Sam closed her eyes and curled her fingers into her palms.

"No. I'm sorry." She opened her eyes and met Carly's teary orbs. "But I wish you the best of luck there and I want you to know that I will always support you, Carls." Carly smiled slightly and wiped her eyes. "I'll definitely go to games and cheer for the team. I don't think I will ever forget you, just so you know." How could they possibly forget each other? They'd been through so much together. To just forget each other would be absurd. "If you ever need me…you know where to reach me. Just putting that out there. So this is goodbye…"

"Yeah." Carly sobbed once and traced her fingers over the lining of her pocket. She hadn't actually called Sam much in the last few months, she'd not done anything and she regretted that. It was too late now. "This is goodbye…" They hugged one last time and Sam turned to leave. Carly pressed her lips together and lifted her hand up slowly. "Jessica said I said I might be better off…I didn't mean that! Putting it out…"

"I know." Sam stopped walking and glanced back slightly. Her heart sank, she really didn't want to think about all of that. The fact that Carly would have said it at all, whether she meant it or not, was enough to really hurt her and taint their friendship. "It's already been done…I forgive you for it, Carly, and I love you because you're my best friend, but…it's already been said." Carly lowered her hand as Sam turned her gaze away and placed her hand on her chest. She let out a soft sob and closed her eyes. This moment was just too painful, she really wanted Gibby to hold her. "Goodbye Carly." Carly closed her eyes and turned around, shaking her head gently to sway the tears.

"Goodbye Sam." The girls began their depart, the only thing in between them, a signpost and a gap that grew wider with each step. It hurt, it felt like whatever was connecting them had been tearing for so long and now was finally snapping. Carly would go to the hotel where she would finish packing with Griffin. Not a word would be said, but the silence would speak volumes.

Sam made it to Jessica's house, everybody was waiting for her in the living room. Melanie, Freddie, and Gibby were on the couch, Jessica sat in one of the recliner chairs, and Janet was eyeing a photograph on the wall. When Sam entered, Gibby was the first to stand up, seeing the tears in her eyes. Sam fell into his arms and began to sob. Everybody else surrounded the two, each of them knowing what took place. "It's okay Sam." Gibby held her tightly as her tears soaked his shoulder. "It's okay."

"It's not okay, it _hurts_. Why does it hurt like this?" Melanie and Jessica joined in hugging her while Freddie rubbed her back. They had no words they could speak, they could only comfort with her actions. It would get better in time, they all knew it would. Sam couldn't help but to wonder if maybe it would have been less painful to have lost each other over facebook, rather than what they just did, but she knew it would have been more tragic to do that. She saw it coming, so why did it hurt so badly? "She's gone."

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Very sad chapter, mostly written because I couldn't just let them drift apart without saying something like a lot of friends end up doing nowadays. The next chapter, Sam talks to Freddie about Melanie while Melanie and Jessica have a conversation of their own, due to the fact that they can't really get a word in edgewise with Sam and Freddie going at it.


	31. One Step at a Time

Boarded

A/N: A little sad because my favorite reviewer has not reviewed yet, but at least the next in line is.

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Chapter 31 (One Step at a Time)

The next day, Melanie dragged Freddie into the guest bedroom. He was curious as to what was going on and didn't expect to see Sam and Jessica in the room. Jessica was seated at a desk, she was holding a book in her hand. Sam was lying on the bed, her hands behind her head. Freddie pointed to the book Jessica was holding and smiled. "What are you reading?"

"Bible." Jessica placed a bookmark where she was and set the book on the table, placing her hand on it. Now Freddie was a bit concerned, didn't people read the bible before someone's execution? He tugged at his collar as Sam sat up on the bed and scooted back against the headboard. "I'm talking to…someone about scriptures lately, just kind of throwing them back and forth." Freddie nodded and smiled at her, happy that she seemed to be doing well.

"Didn't know you were such a devout Christian." Sam rubbed her ear and spoke up this time. Their family had always been Christian, they just had different ways of showing it. Jessica was more into church than either Sam or Melanie. Melanie was more into prayer, and Sam often read the scriptures, but it wasn't strange for them to involve themselves in other things. For instance, they all knew how to recite some verses, they all tried to get to church whenever they could, and they all prayed.

"She always goes to church. I think she plays for the choir." She was the organist, which was usually very calming indeed. Freddie could only wonder what would happen if she met Valerie's family, they would definitely get along. "Just like Gibby's mom. I think there was a time she played the piano for the church every week, she doesn't do that anymore though." Jessica frowned and looked over at Sam curiously, wondering why that was. Sam lightly tapped her fingers on the mattress and kicked the comforter with her index finger. "You know Guppy is from a second marriage, right? She refuses to talk about the first marriage."

"I have been wondering about that, actually…" Freddie took a seat in a chair in the room, which was so conveniently placed in front of the girls. He sighed and glanced to the side, he could tell this was about to turn into an interrogation. "Gibby and Guppy look so alike. Gibby's Jerry's-"

"Jeremy." Jessica held up her finger while the others glanced at her with raised eyebrows. "He doesn't like being called Jerry anymore…" Well that wasn't odd at all. They had a sort of new view of him, yes, but still they didn't understand why Jessica would know or care about this. She chuckled nervously and waved her hand in a circular motion. "Carry on. Sorry about that."

"Okay…Jeremy, he's_ Jeremy's_ brother. However, Gibby's younger brother looks more like him than he looks like Jeremy. Isn't that weird?" Jessica's brow furrowed and she rubbed her chin. Maybe there was something to this. She did not doubt Gibby was Jeremy's brother, both boys could confirm that. She knew one thing about Jeremy, he never lied to her, he was always honest in his own way. That was in the past now, though. She did not doubt this Guppy kid was Gibby's brother, but for him to look so much like Gibby was uncanny. Melanie shrugged and placed her hand upon Freddie's shoulder.

"Actually the appearance thing isn't so off. Jeremy probably got metabolism from his dad, who looked like he was skinny as hell, _plus_ he's on the baseball team. That says something right there." Freddie nodded as his girlfriend tapped her lips in thought. Gibby was on the wrestling team, so he had a bulkier build. However several of the men on his mother's side of the family had a few extra pounds on them. Jessica was the first to begin piecing together the possibility that the woman raising Gibby now was more than just a foster mother. Maybe, somehow, she was his real mother. If that was the case, then that was where Jeremy's mother was! She grinned widely and dragged her fingers along her bible's cover. She had to tell Jeremy! Sam pushed herself from the bed and walked over to Freddie, they had other matters to discuss. Plus, discussing Jeremy was a bit odd feeling right now. Maybe in time, he could ease into her mind, but right now she was still a bit awkward around him.

"Okay Freddie, we have to talk." Jessica nodded and pushed herself from her seat. Freddie swallowed as Melanie patted his shoulder and smiled at him. She wanted to tell him he had nothing to be afraid of, Sam and Jessica weren't going to do anything to him but let him know where they stood on this relationship. "So we hear you and Melanie are boyfriend and girlfriend now." They crossed their arms and Freddie nodded his head with sure confidence. "Well then, I suppose you know that our little Melanie is a fragile, delicate flower. Right?" Melanie's face flushed and she slowly exhaled, a bit embarrassed. "Don't think just because you had a hand in trying to save us a couple days ago that it changes a thing. We still want to make sure you're not going to hurt her."

"I would never hurt her. I love her." Melanie smiled as the two cousins appeared satisfied with this answer. It wasn't enough, though. They had to make sure he was right for her, they had to be satisfied in knowing that he made her happy. They could see enough how happy she was, but they wanted to _know_ it. "I would do anything for her. You must realize that where I stand right now, I see someone who is very beautiful, who is herself, who deserves to be treated right."

"Exactly. Like royalty!" Jessica rubbed her forehead and chuckled as Sam got close to Freddie. She didn't need to scare the poor kid, but it was understandable why she would. "Maybe you don't know it, but she's gone through a mess. Perhaps not as much as we have, but if you want her you have to deal with us too."

"I understand that."

"Now if you were to ever do anything to hurt her, anything at all, then we'll be the first people you run into. Got that? If you cheat on her, if you lie to her, if you get angry with her and hit her, then _I_ will personally _kick your ass_."

"Sam, I will _never_ hurt her." Melanie sighed as she and Jessica moved to the side of the room, they were just going to let the two work it out. Besides, this was actually a _good_ thing for Sam. The more Freddie could stand up to her and defend his relationship with Melanie, the more he would prove herself to her. Jessica grabbed her bible from the desk and opened it up, patiently waiting for the conversation, now turning into an argument, between Freddie and Sam to end. Melanie glanced over and smiled at Jessica.

"You're talking to him, aren't you?" Jessica shifted her eyes up from the book and glanced over at Melanie. What would she say if she said yes? She had to be honest, she never was one to lie, especially not to her cousins. She closed her eyes and slowly nodded. "I see." Melanie looked at Sam and shook her head. "Seems like Sam might be an angry person when it comes to those we care about, but she's really not. She just wants us to be happy…" Currently Sam was still in Freddie's face, but he wasn't backing down. He continued to profess his love for Melanie and continued to state how she was the only one for him. "Did you know she even gave Jonah the riot act when she realized he was dating Valerie?"

"She did?" Jessica laughed and eyed her wordy cousin with a peaceful smile. Melanie was right, Sam did care about people. She didn't want her family to be hurt, but it also made sense for her to give even Jonah the riot act. "How'd that end up?"

"Same way Freddie's going. Jonah just kept saying how he wasn't going to hurt Valerie, that he was a changed man and how he was done living in the past." Melanie let out a small sigh and shut her eyes, she had to think about how Jessica was talking to Jeremy and what was going on there. "Jessie, do you think you might feel something for him? Jeremy?'

"What?" Jessica gazed wide eyed at Melanie, who winced, thinking it was too soon to ask such a question. Jessica peered down at her bible and frowned, why would she feel anything for the man who used to hurt her so much? Her boyfriend just died, but that didn't mean she couldn't feel an attraction to other men, it just made her feel guilty whenever she did.

"It's not wrong, you know."

"What isn't wrong?"

"Thinking he's attractive. I mean, hell, most girls on the campus find him attractive." Jessica's eyes widened a bit, then narrowed. What was it that just surged through her heart, jealousy? "Can't say I've ever seen him date anyone seriously…"

"Oh? Well…"

"Except maybe one person a few years back." Jessica raised her eyebrow as Melanie rubbed the back of her neck. "Yeah, he dated some girl who was hot for him, but she was a…" Melanie looked down, her face went red as the word she wanted to say went through her mind. She wasn't one to use words like that, so she always stopped herself, but Sam and Jessica could always read her.

"Slut?" Melanie laughed nervously and lifted her head up, that was exactly what she wanted to say.

"You didn't hear that from me, though. All she wanted was sex, and understandably so, he made a _very good_ boyfriend to that girl." Jessica lifted her eyes up and stared at herself in the mirror on her desk. So Jeremy had dated before, she couldn't help but wonder if he'd ever had sex with this girl, probably not, with how Melanie was talking about her. She started to wonder how he was in bed, but quickly stopped herself. Melanie eyed her cousin as Jessica's face started turning beet red. How could she let her mind go there? "Her name was Candice. Jeremy showered her in all the things a girl could ever want, I guess that was who he was. That was why it was so hard to believe that he could…you know…"

"That's all in the past. That wasn't him, that wasn't who he was. He's not an abusive person…"

"No he's not." Melanie smiled and patted Jessica's shoulder. She quickly tensed up and pulled her lips back into a nervous smile. "Well turns out that girl did something, I don't know what, but it hurt him pretty badly. Everyone on campus talked about it! If I remember, I think she had sex with a bunch of people…all except Jeremy. Evidently he wouldn't put himself out like that if it didn't feel like the right person…so she slept with everyone just to get at him…" Jessica's jaw dropped and a surge of anger flashed through her eyes. How could someone do something so _vile?_

"What? That bitch!" Melanie frowned as Jessica angrily crossed her arms. If she ever met this Candice, she'd teach her a thing or two about life. How dare she do something like that to Jeremy.

"You do care about him, then?"

"Well…"

"It's okay, Jess, it's fine."

"No it's not…" Jessica bowed her head and thought about Shane. She knew it would take a long time before she actually was over him, and she did want to be a friend to Jeremy, but why was she imagining herself to be Belle? "You ever get a feeling like you're a fairy tale princess?" Melanie raised her eyebrow as Jessica chuckled sheepishly. It sounded so stupid, she had a crush on the man who hurt her. No. Not the man who hurt her, but the real person behind that man. She had a crush on Jeremy, not Jerry. Sure they were the same person, but in reality, two separate entities entirely. She almost wanted something to develop over time, but only after she was was ready. She couldn't understand why, she didn't think it was right. Would he even laugh at her if he knew? No, probably not, he'd probably be wierded out by it.

"Beauty and the Beast." Jessica's head shot up and the color drained from her face. Damn Melanie was good for reading people! She gazed at Melanie through the corner of her eyes and watched as her cousin smiled lightly. "If there was any fairy tale to fit you, I'd almost want to say Beauty and the Beast."

"How would you say that?"

"Because of you and Jeremy."

"No, I mean…_why_ would you think…me and Jeremy? Really?" Jessica's face started to turn red and Melanie placed her hand upon Jessica's shoulder and smiled sweetly. Jessica slowly exhaled and closed her eyes. "You think that I…"

"Tell me a little more about him, about _why_ you might like him. _If_ you do, that is. I mean, I'm certainly not saying that you do…"

"…I thought this meeting was about Freddie…" The girls looked over at Sam and Freddie, they weren't yelling, just talking now. Much like Jessica and Melanie were. Melanie pressed herself against the wall and scraped her fingers in against the rough paint.

"Yeah it is, but I think he and Sam are still busy discussing me." Jessica nodded, it was easy to see that he loved Melanie with all of his heart and would never, ever do anything to hurt her. He was good for her. "So I want to discuss you. I want to discuss Jeremy…which, by the way, nice note on using his full name now."

"Yeah…" Was she doing Shane's memory badly? No, it was best to never remain in the past. That was why she was so able to move on from the bad things Jeremy did to her, which in hindsight never really seemed all that bad. Even at the rodeo, everything he did to her, he seemed to hesitate before doing. That was how she _knew_ it wasn't how he really was. She also remembered him as they were younger. God, who knew he had a crush on her when they were kids? If she had known, maybe things would have been different between the two of them. "I had a pretty bad crush on him when we were kids…" She blushed a bit and quickly shook it off, but Melanie caught it and grinned.

"Oh you did?"

"Yes. He was always so protective of his little brother. He was intelligent, fast, actually quite the gentleman for a little ten year old." She laughed and closed her eyes. Jeremy had always been a bit more mature for his age. It was nice to know that after he got out of prison, he didn't really change much on the inside, just the outside. "He still seems like a gentleman too."

"You see! Beauty and the Beast!" Jessica raised her eyebrow and looked up at the ceiling in thought. Underneath all that anger, all that fear, all that animosity, rested the heart and soul of a gentle lamb but the fierceness of a lion. Always protective, always sure, always courageous and honest.

"Yes. I suppose."

"Give it time, Jessica. If something's going to happen, something will." Jessica pressed her lips together and slowly shook her head. She couldn't picture herself with anyone right now. If there was anyone to picture her with, it was Jeremy? It wasn't absurd? It wasn't ridiculous?

"You know, he wants to talk to Kyle…"

"You mean Gibby?"

"I mean Kyle, that's his brother's name…" Melanie shrugged and nodded her head, whichever people preferred, it really didn't make a difference to her. "But he's afraid to. I can tell, I can see it, there are so many things he's afraid of."

"Well he should talk to Gib…_Kyle_, soon. I'm sure he wants to talk to his big brother too."

"Yeah, they really do need to talk." Sam and Freddie looked over at the two, finished with their heated discussion. Jessica and Melanie smiled at them as they walked over. Sam jerked her thumb in Freddie's direction and took a breath.

"I'm done with him." Melanie gasped happily and took his arm, wrapping her arms around his.

"I certainly hope I don't find anything in him broken, sis!"

"Oh please, like you would do anything if I _did_ break any limbs, which I didn't." Sam stuck her tongue out at Melanie, teasing her. Melanie stuck her tongue out in response. This action caused the others in the room to break out laughing, a peaceful moment for them. "So Jessica, anything you would like to say to Freddie?" Jessica rubbed her chin and her eyes locked onto his. She hummed lightly and tilted her head.

"Yes. Hurt her and die. But since I know you probably won't hurt her, and Sam hasn't completely maimed you, I think you can be trusted." Freddie smiled and nodded his head, he would make sure to treat Melanie right and make the girls know that he could indeed be trusted. "I approve of you. Sam?" Melanie smiled brightly and felt as though she would dance for joy, their acceptance of him was _very_ important to her.

"Yeah, I agree. Freddie's not a bad guy, he'll do fine." That was the best approval he would be getting from Sam. His heart lifted up and he felt like he was floating on air. Both Jessica and Sam thought well of his relationship with Melanie, and how great a feeling it was! Melanie grinned and kissed his lips lightly, an action that even on this day, made him nearly faint.

"You two make such a nice couple." Jessica laughed and smiled as she watched the two kiss and hug. Freddie was a good person, almost a gentleman himself. _Gentleman. _She lifted her eyes up and thought about how Jeremy was all dressed up at the funeral, how he seemed so refined, so dapper, and how he laid the flower on Shane's grave. That was the Jeremy she knew, the gentleman inside of him. She bit her lip and closed her eyes lightly. She wanted to know more about him, more about his life. She wasn't afraid of him. No, he was not a man to fear. Looking to Sam, she chuckled inwardly and sighed. Normally, Sam would not be one to tell thoughts like these. She'd probably tear Jeremy apart worse than anybody. Then again, even Jeremy didn't know her thoughts. She shook her head and walked over to Freddie, giving him a hug. "As far as I'm concerned Freddie, you're part of the family now. Welcome to the family."

"Yeah, welcome to the family, _bro_." Sam punched his arm and his eyes widened. _Brother?_ Well that was something he never expected, but oddly, it sounded perfectly fine to him. He had to wonder where he and Melanie would be in a few years. Oh well, it was one step at a time, and that applied to everyone, it seemed.

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So, let me know what you thought about everything, feel free to analyze as much as you want XD. It looks like the chapters in the 30's will have a high impact on family for everybody. Stick around for the next chapter!


	32. Complicated Emotions

Boarded

A/N: Just because I feel like this deserves to be put up now, I'm going to.

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Chapter 32 (Complicated Emotions)

Jessica was at the mall food court with her mother, they were having a girl's day. Janet was going to get her hair done and Jessica would have time to herself, to roam the mall for a bit. It was nice to get away from all the stress once in a while. Janet looked at her daughter, who was simply eyeballing her food and lifting it up tiredly with her fork. "Is something on your mind, dear? You barely even touched your food."

"Yeah, it's complicated."

"Is it about Shane?" Jessica's face hardened a bit and she slowly closed her eyes. It still hurt to think about him. She hadn't really dated him that long, it was true, but they had been close enough that it pained her to really talk about him. Janet placed her hand on her daughter's hand and squeezed it gently. Jessica lifted her eyes up and gave a tiny smile to her mother. "You know I'm here for you, baby."

"I know mom. It's actually…not him."

"No?"

"It's another guy…" Janet's eyebrows rose as Jessica looked away, guilt falling on her face. Jessica knew she wasn't ready to date, not for a while, but the fact that she was already thinking of someone else made her feel horrible. Janet knew her daughter better than anyone else and could tell what was affecting her. "I think I might be liking someone and I'm really not sure if I should like him. I'm not even too sure why I would feel any sort of attraction to _anyone_ so soon after Shane's death." It had only been a week, she couldn't stand the fact that a week later she was having any sort of attraction to someone else. Janet smiled and cupped Jessica's hand in hers, looking lovingly at her daughter.

"Don't beat yourself up for being human, Jessica." Jessica raised her eyebrows and gazed curiously at her mother. Human? Was this feeling she had not wrong? Was the confusion she felt justified? "I understand that you feel guilty, and it's okay. Nobody is going to judge you if you start dating again, whenever that is. Only you can know when you're ready. Do you understand that?" Jessica slowly nodded her head. It wouldn't be for a while, especially with Jeremy. Right now, she just wanted to focus on being friends with him, that was it. "It's perfectly normal to feel attracted to somebody."

"That's the thing. The guy…" Jessica lowered her voice to a whisper and her mom leaned in a bit closer. "It's Jeremy."

"Jere…" Janet's brow scrunched up in thought as she processed his name. She then thought of the first syllable and realization came to her. "Oh, Jerry…Oh!" She cupped her mouth and Jessica slowly closed her eyes. Smiling, Janet moved her hand away from her mouth and slowly brushed Jessica's hair back, grooming it. "Didn't you used to have dreams about him?"

"Nightmares, mom…"

"No, dreams." Jessica raised her eyebrows nervously as Janet closed her eyes and poked her finger into the air. "You remember when you came home from the prison, you were very afraid. You would come to me several times complaining about the nightmares you had, but sometimes you said that you dreamed you were with your attacker in romantic settings…I never understood until I realized that he was the boy you had a crush on when you were ten. A crush like you had, and believe me it was strong for a ten year old girl, isn't one to forget easy, no matter what the person does to you."

"That's just it mom. It wasn't who he was…" Jessica sighed softly as she moved next to her mother and rested her head gently on the woman's shoulder. "He was a gentleman then, and he is today. I found out that I hadn't even killed that old woman…and everything that both he and I knew…was a lie."

"So maybe your subconscious is telling you to overlook those scary years and to see Jeremy for who he really is? Give it time, baby. If something is meant to happen, it will." Janet groomed her daughter's hair and placed her chin on her head. Jessica smiled and felt a sense of warmness in her. A mother's love was something to be cherished always. Jeremy needed that, he really did. "You are so beautiful."

"Do you think…maybe he thinks that too? Something that always remained a constant in his eyes, whenever he would hurt me…it was like he didn't _want_ to. I never understood that." The look that had always been in his eyes resembled the look a regretful vandal would give before desecrating a beautiful painting. It was something that always confused her, something that always made her think. Janet held her close to her and rubbed her arm lightly, thinking for a minute. Perhaps, Jeremy felt a certain amount of guilt. She could remember watching Jeremy when he _was_ with Jessica and Sam, it seemed like he had a crush on her, because he was almost always shy around her.

"I think maybe you two need to talk about it." Jessica lifted her head up and met her mother's gaze. How could they talk about it? It was probably something they didn't even want to talk about. Janet wasn't going to tell her daughter to stay away from him, but she was concerned. She didn't think Jeremy would hurt her anymore, but she did feel sad that Jessica had to feel so confused. She wanted to say the right things, but didn't know all to say. Her cell started to go off, alerting her that it was time for her hair to get done. Jessica lifted herself up as Janet took her phone and sighed. "Will you be okay? Do you want to come with me?'

"I'll be fine Mom. Thanks for talking to me…"

"Anytime sweetie." The girls stood up and Janet hugged Jessica. "You're my baby girl, no matter what happens."

"I love you mommy." Jessica smiled as Janet kissed her forehead and took her tray of food to the trash. She left Jessica's in case she wanted to finish eating. Jessica watched her mother walk away and sighed as she looked over to the nearest bathroom. She needed to use the restroom. She walked over to it and tilted her head, the only place she could think of that had a unisex bathroom, and it was the mall food court. At least there was only one toilet in there and the door was one of those that locked. _"Since when do malls start putting unisex bathrooms in? I thought that was only restaurants…wonder what he'd think of this."_ She reached for the door handle and froze, her heart started beating heavily as she gazed at the door. Why all of a sudden had Jeremy just come to her mind? She felt a sense of heat coming from the other side of the door, a very strong pull. She swallowed hard as the handle clicked and turned, it seemed so slow to her. The door opened and the man was turned away, throwing the paper towel he used on the handle in the trash. He turned his head and met Jessica's surprised gaze. He froze, his wild blonde bangs swaying just over his eyes as a heat wave came over him. "Jeremy?"

"Jessica! What are you doing here?"

"I was here on a girl's day with my mom…" She pointed at her table and was starting to worry that her food might be taken away by the janitors. "She left to get her hair done. What are you doing here?" She met his gaze once more and swallowed hard, her entire body was heating up.

"Movie. The Expendables." He smirked lightly and Jessica's eyes danced, she loved that movie. She'd just seen it in theaters a couple weeks ago. "_Awesome_ movie."

"Yeah!" Holding his gaze, she found herself nearly falling forward and stopped herself before anything happened. What the hell was happening to her? She looked down at his hands, they were so clean, wet with water though. "I noticed you opened the door with the paper towel, you do that often?"

"Yeah, who knows what's on that door handle." He had no phobia of germs, but he did know people didn't always wash their hands in public restrooms. Jessica nodded as he stepped aside and held the door open for her. Seeing the janitor approaching the table she pointed at, he chuckled lightly and motioned his thumb in the direction. "Would you like me to watch your food for you? I promise not to eat it."

"Um, yeah…thanks." Her bowels were really acting up, she couldn't hold it in much longer. Jeremy nodded and watched her run into the bathroom. She looked over just before entering the stall and watched Jeremy click the lock on the door for her and walk away, letting the door shut.

When Jessica was finished, she washed her hands and was unaware that she was opening the door while holding a paper towel. She became aware of this after the fact, she'd never done something like that before. She looked to her table and saw Jeremy sitting at it, he had a tray of his own now and was eating his own food. Jessica walked over and sat down at her tray. "Thank you, Jeremy."

"Yeah it's nothing." She took a bite of her food, thinking it would be long cold by now, but it was warm. Her eyebrows rose and she stared at her tray. Nothing was different, everything was the same. She eyed Jeremy suspiciously and he gave a tiny smile. "Yeah, the janitor was about to take your food, said you'd been sitting there not eating it for the last twenty minutes and that you had left. I assured him you were in the bathroom and asked if he'd heat the food up for you. So he did."

"Wow, that's…" It was incredibly nice of him to do. Hell, Shane never really did that for her. Shane was a good person too, but not as much of a gentleman as Jeremy. Her eyes widened when she realized what she was saying. She couldn't get over the fact that, yes, Jeremy was insanely hot, and yes, she felt guilty for thinking it. "I'm so confused…"

"About what?" He was no stranger to confusion, but he had no one to talk to about it. Was this something that boys could talk about with their fathers? It should, but his father was an asshole who could rot in hell for all he cared. He stared at Jessica as she slowly took another bite of her food. Goddamn it, she was attractive. He always thought she was and hated that he'd let his anger get the better of him. Why had he hurt her all those times? She never deserved it. God he had been a prick, but over time, he had grown on her. It made the rodeo hell. He'd honestly pulled a gun on her, but he wasn't going to shoot her. No, he didn't want to scare her. It hadn't been about his grandmother then, it had been about him. He hated the monster, the beast that he'd become, and didn't want to fall for her. If she were gone, then he wouldn't have those feelings, but he couldn't _ever_ take her life. He could never hurt her like that, he would never. "You're confused about what?"

"It's nothing." Jessica looked at him, then to his food. She pointed at his potatoes with her fork. "Are you going to eat those?"

"Hm?" He tore himself from his dazed state of mind and looked down at his potatoes. "Oh, no…I don't like red potatoes much. You can have them."

"Thanks." Jessica started forking them over to her tray and Jeremy watched her subtle movements. She was so accurate, so swift, and so graceful. His brow furrowed and he closed his eyes. No, give it time. Jessica lifted her eyes to him and brought the last potato to her tray slowly. This would pass, wouldn't it? These feelings?

_"No, I lived these years thinking about her."_

_"Why the hell am I thinking of him this way?"_

_"If these feelings won't go away in time, what happens then? They should. They will, right? Her bruises went away. Her bruise…that I inflicted…"_ Jessica slowly brought her hand to her face and trailed where she had her bruise a few days ago.

_"A mere memory of a fading past. Not him. Not who he is."_

_"It isn't me, it wasn't me. I could never cause her that pain."_ No, he wouldn't cause her that pain again. Not any longer, he was a different man than that. He still wanted to kill his father, though. They needed to stop staring at each other, stop being in such a trance and _talk_. It was frustrating, the tension between them. They had to talk about something, anything.

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I want this to be up now just because I do :P XD.


	33. Beauty and the Beast

Boarded

A/N:Sorry, chapter 32 and 33 WERE originally one, so I have to do this...

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Chapter 33 (Beauty and the Beast)

"So, The Expendables, you said was a great movie?" Jessica pushed a potato past her lips as Jeremy cut his meat. He nodded his head and lifted his eyes up to her. "I never pegged you for an action movie buff."

"Well I'm sure not a cheesy romance kind of guy." He replied gruffly, but with a smirk. It basically made her think otherwise, that maybe he _did_ appreciate romance. She never knew this about him. There was bound to be a lot of things she never knew about. "You watched the movie?"

"Yep, I really enjoyed the part where the three action guys all had a scene together!" Jeremy laughed and nodded with agreement, that was one of his favorite scenes. Ultimately, however, both of them had the same ultimate favorite scene. The end, with all the explosions and bad guys being blown to hell.

"Now _you_ I never thought would be one for the action." Jessica raised her eyebrows and smirked subtly. The expression on his face told her he was impressed with this info about her. "I always thought you'd be more for the romance."

"Au contraire, I'm actually a big fan of romance too." Jeremy smirked as he brought some meat to his mouth. He so had her pegged. He lifted his eyebrows and hummed lightly, god she was so easy to talk to. "More of a fairytale romance, but hey, is that so bad?" He shrugged as she took another bite of her food and swallowed it. Sometimes she saw herself wanting to be a part of a fairytale, though she knew that was impossible. "I wish we could live lives of fairytales, then everything would have a happy ending." He leaned back in his chair and thought for a minute. It was then that Jessica had full opportunity to check out his body. It was more of an unconscious act, she could not help it. Her eyes glazed over his strong, but toned arms and across his husky chest. God, if he knew she was checking him out, she would be so embarrassed. God if the table weren't in the way, she would be checking out everything below his waist. Her face started to turn red and she shook her head. She shouldn't be having these thoughts. But they were normal? She was human after all.

"Fairytales aren't as fake as people think, you know." She raised her eyebrow as Jeremy looked to the side, seemingly gazing off into space. "The struggles, those are the real parts. The stuff that gets so bad it's almost make believe. It is the 'live happily ever after' part that is the lie. Sure, after all the struggles in the fairytale, one can move past and beyond, but it's making the relationship work that's the hard thing." Jessica moved her eyes down to her food and started absently forking it. "Take the Hunchback of Notre Dame, for example."

"Is that even a fairytale?" Jeremy blinked and turned his gaze back to Jessica. He wasn't sure, to be totally honest. It was a Disney movie that resembled a fairytale. "Sorry, go on."

"It's fine. I'm not sure if it is a fairytale or not, but either way. At the end, I suppose the two fall in love. When it says happily ever after, is that so? Think of all the people around them, how would they really feel about the relationship? How does the gypsy's family handle it? Do they approve? Would they approve of a _monster_ in their eyes?"

"I'm sure they would realize that he wasn't a monster, that it was just the way he appeared on the outside. On the inside, he has a gentle, charming soul. One that could easily have made the gypsy girl fall for him." Jeremy stared at her for a minute, then shrugged.

"Eh, it is believable. Though again, it would take time for the hunchback to win over her friends and family, but I doubt he really cared what they thought."

"What's important is how the two feel, not what the world thinks." He nodded and Jessica took a sip of her water. "I always thought if I lived in a fairytale, if I had to compare myself to any one of them, then it might be…"

"Beauty and the Beast." Jessica blinked and her eyebrows rose sharply. She watched as Jeremy closed his eyes and took a bite. How ironic that even _he_ would think that about her. "You would be Belle, you appear to have the heart."

"Y-You think I'd be Belle?" Her cheeks grew red and Jeremy nodded his head. He felt it was appropriate since she was actually talking to him.

"For example, look at me…despite all the things I did to you, you actually talk to me."

"Oh, well…" She swallowed and rubbed the back of her neck nervously. "That's because I…" Jeremy moved his eyes over to her and wondered if he said the wrong thing, but it didn't seem that way to him. She sighed and looked into his eyes. Moaning, she quickly tore her gaze away. "I don't like to look at the past, Jeremy. I'm more of a 'here and now' type of person."

"Well that's a good way to be."

"Thank you." She took the final bite of her food and saw Jeremy lean forward a bit, placing his elbows on the table and hands together in the air. He looked off to the side, gazing out the windows as though he were lost in thought. She couldn't help but to think on how deep he must be. So great to talk to. People like that were hard to come by. "Have you talked to him yet? Kyle?" Jeremy sighed and bowed his head, placing his forehead onto his hands. He felt like he let Kyle down big time, he betrayed his brother's trust, lost his brother's respect. Would he want to talk to him?

"No I haven't."

"Why?"

"Have you seen the monster I've become? He hates me, Jessica." Jessica bit her lip and placed her hand over his, bringing them down to the table. He lifted his head up and looked into her eyes. She looked so serious and so caring. Why? He didn't deserve it.

"You're not a monster, Jeremy. I know that now. I suppose I've always known it, but either way…Kyle loves you, he's looked up to you all his life. Why should the mistakes you've made change that? Jeremy…he's an older brother now himself."

"What?" Jeremy raised his eyebrows curiously as Jessica nodded her head and smiled.

"He knows what it's like, to be an older brother. He knows how it feels to be willing to do _anything_ for the younger, to protect. He also knows what it feels like to lose…everything…"

"What do you mean?"

"Sam told me…one time Kyle, Gibby, whichever your preference…his younger brother ran off into the woods and he lost it. He spent the entire day trying to find him that anyone and everyone he ran into…was subjected to his anger…"

"You're serious?" Jessica nodded her head and closed her eyes. She wouldn't lie, not to Jeremy or anyone. It turned out that Guppy had been playing around and a couple, thinking he was a lost child, picked him up and determined to try and find out where his parents were. "Fuck…"

"He knows what it's like. I suppose that if I were put in the same situation, I would have done the same thing. No, I know I'd probably lose it if it were Sam or Melanie. I'd lose it big time…and without anyone there to calm me down…"

"You'd end up hurting those you cared about most…"

"Most likely, I'd be so blinded by it all. I wouldn't know what to think, where to begin…" This wasn't about Kyle, not anymore. They both knew she was talking about him, it was clear as day. "You lost everything, you thought you had. You couldn't see me, you couldn't see anyone, and nobody was there to catch you when you fell from grace. Even I should have seen it, but I was so caught up in my own grief, I couldn't be a friend to you."

"Then I…I hurt you."

"You couldn't have known it was me, your rage, your terror was so powerful, so blinding. You were going through pain, you needed someone and nobody was there. Let the world suffer with you…why shouldn't they? They who took your entire world away, tore you to pieces and trampled you…but that's different now, that's past. Now, you have a chance at happiness. Why not take it? Why not, the world's giving you this opportunity."

"I don't deserve it."

"Everyone deserves a shot at happiness, Jeremy. _Everybody_ deserves it." Jeremy gazed into her eyes and felt a certain warmth beginning to overtake him. He could either be open to this warmth or he could turn the cold shoulder. Maybe this had been what he was afraid of all his life? This warm feeling? If he had stopped to let her, she would have given him this warmth so long ago. No, he was done ruling and wading in the cold, he wanted to _feel_ again, he wanted this warmth. "And you know what?"

"What?"

"You may even find your mother, if you will yourself to be happy again." Jeremy's eyebrows rose and a smile graced his lips. Mom. He wanted so badly to see her again. "Don't tell me you don't want that. I know you better than that, believe me."

"I would love to see my mom again, but how…"

"Talk to Kyle." He sighed and glanced away, frustrated. What would Kyle have to do with any of it? "I can text him and have him here right now." Jeremy's eyes widened and his head turned to her in shock, could she really do that? "Just him though, not Sam…they're here right now. They came with us, but left to do their own thing while Mom and I had our girl's day."

"I see."

"Would you be willing to do that?" She didn't want to bring Sam into this whole mess, it would be inappropriate and she might be upset with Jeremy. He slowly nodded his head and she smiled happily while grabbing her cell phone out. It wasn't long at all before Gibby came rounding the corner in a rush.

"What is it Jessica, you said it was urgent?" He stopped in his tracks when he spotted Jeremy. His eyes widened and he instantly understood why Jessica had called him here and not Sam. "Okay…" He slowly sat down in one of the chairs and looked into his brother's eyes. "I've been wanting to talk to you for a while, you know. Where have you been hiding?"

"I've been around, but I thought you'd hate me."

"No, I…I could never hate you." Jeremy chuckled nervously and looked to Jessica, who was all smiles. So she had been right, he didn't hate him. "You made mistakes, that's it, but…that's all past now. I've really missed you…"

"I know, so have I." Jessica was the first to start letting the tears come to her, it was a curse at times. She was so happy for the brothers to reconnect, it was a long time coming and they each deserved to see the other. They must have talked for five or ten minutes before the awkward tension passed. It would not be long before they were acting just like brothers again. "I hear you're an older brother yourself."

"Yeah, he really looks up to me." Gibby laughed once and closed his eyes. Man he loved his kid bro, Guppy was awesome. "Looks a little like me too." Gibby smirked slightly and Jeremy's eyebrows rose. How was that possible? Unless…

"He looks like you? You don't mean to say…"

"I live with Mom now. _Our_ mom." Jeremy's jaw fell and Jessica started wiping her eyes. "Those officers did everything they could to find her, and they did. So when she knew what was going on, she took me in. She remarried after a while, hence my, no, _our_ youngest brother."

"We have a stepdad now?"

"Yeah, they separated at one time a couple years ago and she tried to move on and date other people, but it didn't work out. They got back together and remarried.  
Jeremy smiled at this, he had a whole family somewhere now. "I can't believe you didn't recognize me, by the way! I recognized you…"

"Yeah well _I_ didn't gain weight, bro." Jeremy smirked and lightly punched Gibby's arm. Gibby laughed and punched Jeremy's arm in retaliation.

"You bastard, you haven't changed a bit since we were kids." The two laughed and gave each other a big hug. Jeremy wanted to see his mother now, there was no question about that. There was just one thing he wanted to do first. He looked to Jessica and smiled a bit at her. He wanted salvation. He knew she forgave him, he knew his brother forgave him, but what about God?

"What do you think mom's going to think when she sees me? What will she do? Will she hate me? Will she shun me?" Gibby hummed lightly and rubbed his chin, he was pretty sure he had a good idea what she would do.

"Mom will see you, she'll cry and scoop you up in her arms…" Jeremy closed his eyes and felt tears coming to him. "She'll kiss you, call you her little baby. She'll hold you close and say she's proud of you, that she's waited all her life to see you. You'll tell her what you've been up to and she'll make you a bowl of chicken soup." Jeremy chuckled and wiped his eyes, imagining everything. "She'll tell you she loves you, reminding you again and again that you are her son and she'll shower you in the love you've always dreamed of having. She'll show you what it's like to finally…finally be at peace. Then Guppy will try to give his oldest brother a gift, show you that he wants to be a part of your life. Dad will call you his son, tell you that you are forever a part of the family and nothing, _nothing_ will ever change that."

"You call him dad?" Fresh tears were streaming all the way to his chin, a sight that Jessica had never really seen. It was humbling. She took a deep breath and Gibby slowly nodded his head, he had tears dripping down his face as well.

"Yes, because he is in _so many ways_ a father. The father we always wanted, Jeremy." The father they would have had if they hadn't been stuck with Tyler. "Mom never knew where you were, that…man never let her know anything after they were separated. Then I never knew where you were at, I was too young to know where they were taking you. Then Tyler got a lawyer to-"

"I…don't want to talk about him, I don't want to talk about that." Gibby smiled and slowly nodded his head, respecting Jeremy's wishes. Jeremy just wanted to forget the past, to move on. He wanted to be with his mother, he wanted to see everything Gibby told him come true. "So…why the name change? I never got to ask that…"

"I didn't want to be called Kyle anymore." Gibby moved his eyes downwards and he slowly lifted his shoulders. Obviously the reason was on a very deep, personal level that he didn't want even Jeremy to really know about. Jeremy nodded and wrapped his arm around Gibby's shouldn't, pulling him into a hug.

"So then I'll call you Gibby from here on out." Gibby laughed and hugged his brother back.

"Yeah, well be glad you're the only kid in this family with a _normal_ name!" Jeremy laughed. Jessica placed her chin on her hands, which were tangled together with her fingers. His laugh was so rich, so deep and glorious. It was almost infectious. He was happy. She tilted her head so her cheek lay flat on her fingers and she gazed out the window. How beautiful it was outside, how beautiful this day was.

"Jessica!" Her mom's voice rang out over the crowd, pulling her from the daydream she was about to enter. She lifted her head and looked past Jeremy and Gibby, seeing her mom waving at her. Her mother's hair was so neatly groomed, wavy and voluptuous, flowing just between her chin and shoulders. "I'm not interrupting anything am I?" She grinned and pointed at the boys, instantly recognizing Jeremy but thinking nothing of it.

"No you're not." Jessica stood up and the boys looked at her. She smiled at them and waved. "I'm going to go now, I'm _so_ happy for you!" She bounced away from them and towards her mother. Gibby looked at Jeremy, who was staring down at the table. Jeremy cleared his throat and stood up.

"Hold on! Jessica…" Jessica and her mother turned around, Janet's hand in stopped in the process of readjusting her purse strap on her shoulder. Jessica slowly breathed in as Jeremy walked to her, as though breathing in his very essence. "Thank you, for…you know…everything." She placed her hand to her chest and smiled at him.

"You know…I just think everyone deserves a chance, a shot…you're no exception."

"I know." He really did like that about her, that she would include him in that whole list of people who deserved a second chance. Even though he knew he should be rotting in hell right about now. She was like an angel. Scratch that, she had to be an angel. "Hey, I was wondering…you and your mom are going to church this Sunday, right?"

"Always…" Gibby got up and walked over to the group, interested in seeing where this conversation was heading. "Just us too, Melanie and Sam will be getting ready to go back home."

"I was thinking maybe Gibby and I could visit your church. You know, if your pastor's good and everything." Jessica smiled brightly and nodded her head, she would be honored to have him attend her church. Gibby was extremely happy to hear the news as well, he knew having a spiritual life was important, not just for being religious, but because it gave people something. What that something was, who knows, it's always different for everyone. "I kind of want to pray, maybe God's not, you know…totally pissed at me and wants to smite me away to hell." Jessica was about to comment, but this time it was Janet that beat her to the punch.

"I'm sure he doesn't, Jeremy." Janet smiled kindly and surprised everybody by giving him a friendly hug. His eyes widened as she looked into his eyes. "God loves everybody. It's almost like a mother can't hate her young no matter what they do. We promise not to get all religious and spiritual on you, but it is the truth…Jessica and I would be honored to have you visit our church."

"Thank you, Ms. Trent." Jessica looked behind her and thought she saw Sam starting to round the corner. She yelped and pulled her mom a bit.

"Mom come on, Sam's coming! We have to go, guys!" Jeremy knew what this meant and quickly turned around. Nobody really thought Sam would do anything at all to him, but she was always the unpredictable one. They had to be cautious with her. Gibby said one last goodbye to Jeremy and gave him his cell number, he _would_ be contacting him again. The group then ran off to meet up with Sam, who was beginning to get worried with Gibby being gone such a long time. Jeremy, hidden amongst the crowd, watched Jessica with a smile on his face. How could something so wrong, feel so right? Unless, it wasn't wrong at all?

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Next chapter will be up in a few days probably, I don't want to overload, you know.


	34. A Promise

Boarded

A/N:

* * *

Chapter 34 (A Promise)

Sunday came around, Gibby and Jeremy made their way to the church. Gibby was impressed with the suit that Jeremy was wearing, he really did clean up nicely. He had somewhat shaggy hair now, but handsome man shaggy hair, not boyish at all. He had a bit of stubble, which made him look really handsome. Hell, Gibby wished he looked that good, but he was a bit insecure about the fact that he'd inherited genes from his mother's side of the family while the one thing Jeremy got from Tyler's side was the metabolism. He wasn't sure where Jeremy got the good looks, though.

"Great, I get the boyishly cute look and you get the devilishly handsome man look. That's hardly fair!" Jeremy laughed as he adjusted his tie. "You know, the church is casual, you didn't even have to dress up. You put me to shame, bro." Now Gibby was laughing. Jeremy just wanted to show off a little bit, it was nothing major. He always grew up thinking church was formal, because that was the type of church he went to. He'd not been to many casual ones, and the ones he had been to, he still dressed up for.

"Hey, dress to please, that's what I say." Gibby rolled his eyes and smirked as they made it outside the church. They stopped and stared up at it, such a majestic and regal looking building. Jeremy was terrified, he hadn't gone to church in a long time. He was a Christian, hard as it was to believe, he did believe in god. He did believe in the death and resurrection, he just had his heart closed out to God and Jesus for so long. "You think I should be here?"

"I think Jessica's waiting for us in there, yes. It was you who asked to join them for Sunday Service. You must be ready, and you must need to be here, if you felt the desire to ask." Jeremy closed his hands and nodded gently, Gibby was right after all. He _needed_ this. This was part of the peace he needed. "A bit of an icebreaker if you want…" Jeremy lifted his eyebrows up and looked to Gibby. "I asked Freddie and Melanie. It appears you're hot stuff on the campus. You know, with all the girls and whatnot." He shrugged in response as his eyes traced the cross on the church.

"A lot of girls like me, sure. Not like I ever get involved with any of them." Sure he relished the attention sometimes, but as a rule, he tended to stay out of relationships that just didn't feel right to him. "I'm waiting on the right woman to come along…and I'd rather her be more mature than the girls my age, you know what I'm saying?" Gibby blinked and let a smile grace his lips.

"Yeah, I know exactly what you mean. Sometimes high school girls can be pretty damn crazy." Jeremy frowned and closed his eyes, remembering the one girl he did ever date. They had gotten a tad serious, and then all she wanted was sex. That girl then got even, when he wouldn't put out for her, and decided to go out and sleep with every guy she could find.

"Yeah…"

"Have you ever had any close friends?"

"Too cocky on the baseball team…"

"Hah, you keep talking to Jessica and her cousins and they'll snap your cockiness right out of you." Jeremy laughed as Gibby placed his hand onto his back and rubbed him a bit. "I'm glad that we're together again, brother. You know, mom and dad are going to want you to move in with us."

"I know, but it'll take a couple months. I have to finish school first. I could be getting a scholarship!" Gibby pressed his lips together and tilted his head. That's right, he never knew what his brother wanted to do with his life.

"What will you do once you're out?" Jeremy didn't even have to think about his answer. He smirked lightly and closed his eyes.

"Play ball."

"Sounds good…I want to be a pro wrestler."

"You've got what it takes." Gibby beamed with pride, still happy over the approval of his older brother.

"Thank you! You know, I hear talk that Jessica and her mom are planning to move closer to Ms. Trent's sister." Jeremy's eyebrows rose in serendipity. He knew Gibby was referring to Sam's mom. It would be great if that happened, because Gibby lived around there too and so that meant his family would live there and he would be where Jessica was. He blinked and quickly shook his head, he really shouldn't think about that right now. "Anyway, let's get inside."

"Yeah, let's do that." The brothers entered the church and looked around at the pews. It was a very warm feeling, the light was dim and the carpet was, of course, brown. The walls were wooden, the pews had that oaky smell and polished look. "Where are they at?" Jeremy's eyes scaled the stage and the church music came to his ears. It was too early for the service to actually be starting, so the organist must be practicing. The back of the piano was facing them, so he couldn't tell who was playing, but they could see Janet sitting in the second row, middle section. She was reading her scriptures and praying. "There's Ms. Trent."

"Yeah, so let's go sit down with her." Jeremy nodded and eyed the piano as he and Gibby walked to Janet and took their seats next to her. She smiled at them and rested her bible in her lap. "Hey Ms. Trent, glad to see we're not late."

"No, you're early." Janet looked at Jeremy and smiled politely. "You look very handsome, Jeremy. I imagine you'll be making a lot of women swoon today." Jeremy chuckled nervously and rubbed the back of his neck. He really didn't care for that reaction from anyone, but it was a very nice compliment. "Jessica's practicing the song choices today, you can go say hello to her if you want."

"She's practicing?" The wondrous music hit his ears once more and he slowly turned his head to the piano. She was the organist for the church? "Impressive." His voice was a whisper, but Janet still heard him and grinned. He slowly stood up from the seat and started walking to the piano, he didn't really want to disturb the music, but he wanted to tell Jessica how impressive her playing was.

She didn't see him come up to her, she was so into her playing. Her eyes were closed and her fingers moving at such a hastened pace. Jeremy really enjoyed seeing her so into something. "So how long have you been able to play the piano?" That did it. Jessica yelped and her hands crashed onto the keys. She was only mildly annoyed by the broken concentration. She turned to look at Jeremy and her eyes widened when she saw him. She had to fight to tear away her gaze before she began _drooling_ over him. He was leaning his arm against the wooden fixture framing the piano booth and had his right leg tangled over his left. Jessica was finding herself pulled into that cute little devilish smirk he had on his face.

"I uh, whoa…I've been playing since I was a little kid. I don't suppose you ever heard me playing the piano for the guards at the…bad place…"

"Whoa, that was you?" Jeremy whistled and glanced over at the church doors. "Very impressive, I always wondered who was playing that beautiful music. So peaceful…" Jessica blushed and turned a page in her sheet music. "So, Gibby told me he thought you and your mom were moving?"

"Hm? Oh yeah, we should be moving by the end of the month. We want to be closer to Aunt Pam and Sam. That and we're just getting really tired of that house. The people at this church say they're going to miss us, but we've visited the church that Sam goes to, and I personally think they have a greater fellowship and sense of family than this church does."

"That is good to hear." He leaned forward against the booth wall and rested his arms on top, looking at the song book. "You know Sweet Hour of Prayer?" Jessica thought for a minute and nodded in response, it was one of her favorites.

"Of course." Jessica didn't need to flip the book for this, she knew this song by heart. Jeremy smiled as she played the piano, closing her eyes and playing with her heart. She sang the lyrics as well, her soft voice wafting to his ears. He'd _never_ heard her sing before. His eyes widened with surprise. Her voice was _beautiful_, was she not really a member of the choir? She ended the song with one verse, disappointing Jeremy, he wanted to hear her sing some more. "That's only a glimpse of later, just a sample." She winked and Jeremy's eyebrows rose.

"Sample?"

"Here, take a brochure." She lifted a small manila packet from the piano and handed it to Jeremy. The front of it had a picture of a bible and a scripture verse underneath it. He smiled and opened the packet, it detailed a bunch of events going on at the church. On the last page was a detail of what would be going on today. First was the introduction, then the announcements, then the band played a few songs, then there was special music performed by Jessica Trent. Jeremy's eyes lifted up, she was going to sing and play the piano, singing the song _How Beautiful_. After that was the sermon, then the closing music.

"Wow, I came to church at a nice time then." Jessica blushed a tiny bit, and motioned him back to the pews. People were starting to come in.

"Go, go, the service is about to start!"

"Right." He took one last glance at her, then made his way back to his seat. Janet and Gibby watched him and smiled when he sat down. He glanced at them, his face a light pink color. "What?" They shook their heads and closed the bible as people started pouring into the pews.

The service started without a problem whatsoever. The pastor introduced himself, introduced guests, and then the choir conductor went up, along with all the band members. Everyone stood and sang the hymns. After that, Jessica started her song. Jeremy listened eagerly and intensely. Her music was so graceful and her voice echoed softly, filling the air like honey. He closed his eyes and took it in, willing it to touch him.

"How beautiful, the hands that served, the wine and the bread, and the sons of earth." Gibby and Janet looked at him and followed his lead, closing their eyes and just listening. "How _beautiful_, the feet that walked, the long dusty roads, and the hills to the cross. How beautiful, how beautiful! How beautiful, is the body of Christ." Jeremy began to move his lips, softly mouthing the words with her. Jessica closed her eyes and became one with her music. "How beautiful, the heart that bled, that took all my sin and bore it instead." She slowly opened her eyes and looked to Jeremy, smiling as she continued her song. "How beautiful the tender eyes that choose to forgive and never despise…" Jeremy opened his eyes and looked to Jessica, so beautiful she was, so beautiful this song was. "How beautiful, how beautiful! How beautiful is the body of Christ…" Would God really forgive him? Would God really take him? He must, he was God. The song intensified and her voice rose and softly came down. "And as he laid down his life, we offer this sacrifice, that we will live just as he died: Willing to pay the price, willing to pay the price. How beautiful, the radiant Bride who waits for her Groom with His light in her eyes. How beautiful when humble hearts give the fruit of pure lives, so that others may live! How beautiful, how beautiful…how beautiful is the body of Christ."

_"She's amazing."_

"How beautiful! The feet that bring the sound of good news and the love of the king! How beautiful the hands that serve the wine and the bread, and the sons of the earth. How beautiful, how beautiful, how beautiful is the body…of…Christ…" She closed her eyes as she softly brought the music to a close. Jeremy was astounded, she must have put so much practice in that song. He almost wanted to give a standing ovation, but nobody else was standing, everyone was clapping though, so naturally he joined in.

She stepped away from the piano, smiling. She looked so radiant that Jeremy almost questioned if the room got brighter. The pastor thanked her and she walked to her seat next to Jeremy. She smiled at him, it wasn't hard to tell that he enjoyed the song. He was almost like an open book to her, and she wasn't even sure if he was letting that happen.

As the sermon went on, Jeremy was almost brought to tears several times. The words were affecting him deeply, as though it were directed to him. The message was about sin, struggles, how no matter what someone does God always loves, no matter what. There were so many parts of the message where he wondered if anyone else was hearing the same thing that he was. It was almost too much to bear. Jessica and Gibby could see the effect it was having on him and they were excited, he was starting to realize that he could move on with his life, that he could be happy, that he didn't need to let the past bear down on him like a ton of bricks. Janet saw this too and smiled, she knew he was making a conscientious effort to move away from the past that burdened him to the ground. When the sermon ended, the pastor invited anyone to come kneel on the steps of the stage and pray, be it as a group or on their own. This was the moment he was waiting for. He slowly stood up and looked at both Jessica and Gibby, they stood up with him.

With his eyes wet, he made his way to the steps. The pastor did not want to know anything that anybody was praying about, this was between them and God. He did, however, counsel anybody after hours that needed help. Jeremy knelt on the steps and Gibby knelt with him, draping one arm over his back, Jessica did the same on the other side of him. They were going to let him pray and pray with him.

"God." Jeremy closed his eyes and he could have sworn he felt a presence, like someone listening. "I know it's been a while. A long, _long_ time. I've been needing to talk to you…I'm sorry God, for the things I've done in my life. I believe in you, I want to accept Jesus into my heart. I want to make you proud, I want to make my momma proud…I want to do the right things, I want to be pure, I want to feel _whole_ again. You've brought my brother back into my life, and for that, I'm grateful. Please God, this guilt I feel, this shame…the pressure…take it all off of me."

Jeremy felt something inside of him, a feeling of calmness, of peace. How uncanny it was. "God, forgive me for what I did to your angel." Jessica's lips turned up a bit and she squeezed his hand as a reflexive move. "It seems like she forgives me. I think my brother forgives me too. I want to move forward, I don't want the burden of my past anymore, I give it to you. Take me from this hell, please."

His body shook and the tears started to escape his eyes. People were leaving the pews, it was not necessary to stick around and wait for people to finish praying, as people were allowed to take however long they wanted. There were still others on the steps as well. "Please allow those I've hurt to have peace, to know that I am deeply sorry in every way. Take care of them."

Jeremy slowly opened one eye and looked at Jessica, he smiled and closed his eye. "One more request. Shane gave his life for Jessica, please lift him up in your arms and give him a special place in heaven. He deserves it." Jessica breathed in and tears fled her own eyes. "Again, I accept you into my heart, I accept Jesus back. I don't know what's going to happen when I see my mom again, and to be honest, I'm very scared. I suppose it takes a lot for me to even admit that…God, watch over all of us. We all are boarded up in one way or another, hearts closed up to something…We all need an angel, so if you could, give them all one."

Soon his prayer ended and the three stood in silence, a strange wave of peace had overcome all of their hearts. It literally felt like their pasts had been washed away, their souls clean. Jeremy actually felt like he could smile, perhaps this spiritual thing really was all cracked up to be what it was. He felt bad that he had not been spiritual for so long. Jessica looked into his eyes and smiled. "Jeremy."

"Hm?"

"Thank you. For what you said about Shane…thank you. It was really sweet of you." She bit her lip in thought as she considered her next move. Jeremy was really impressing her lately, and not even trying to. "So…when do you see your mom?"

"I don't know. I really want to see her, but I can't miss any classes." He frowned and rubbed the back of his neck. He was also still terrified of seeing them. He knew what Gibby said, but how could he be sure they really wanted to see him? "I have to get back to school tomorrow and I have a flight back to Texas later today."

"Oh. I see." She probably wouldn't see him again for a while then, not that it would be a bad thing. It would actually give her plenty of time to think, and maybe give him some time to think. "I guess that means you and Gibby are driving to the airport?"

"Just me. Gibby leaves with Sam." Right, she had forgotten about that fact. They'd made such a breakthrough in the last week, she almost didn't want to see him go. "When I get home, I got a lot of work to do, a lot of catching up. I haven't exactly made the best impression on the people there."

"No, but I bet you make quite the impression on the ladies." He chuckled and shook his head, times he did not really want to think about. Jessica bit her lip and looked at Gibby. He raised his eyebrows and walked away as Jessica held her hands in front of her waist and swayed her hips forward a bit. "Melanie, um…told me a little about your past."

"What'd she say?"

"That girl…" Jeremy frowned and his face darkened a little bit, he definitely didn't like to remember Candice. He closed his eyes and slowly exhaled, he would be glad to explain in further detail. Again, she made it so easy to talk to her.

"Candice. She wanted to have sex and I said no, I was waiting for the right person. So she goes and sleeps with like…five or six other guys…then proceeds to shove it in my face saying that if six guys could be willing to give themselves to her, so should I. So…I called it off." Jessica suppressed the growl coming up her throat. She seriously wanted to find this girl and tear her apart, how dare she do something like that to him! She slowly lifted her hand up and cupped his cheek, not fully aware of what she was doing. His face turned red and he placed his hand over hers. She had the softest, gentlest touch. She gazed into his eyes and pressed her lips together.

"You didn't deserve to have that happen to you." He frowned and his eyes clouded up a bit.

"It's okay, I've moved on from that…"

"Have you? I hope so. I hope it doesn't still hurt you…"

"It was years ago." He shrugged and let his hand slide down to her wrist. She smiled at him as he lowered her hand just a bit and spoke in a soft voice. "Don't do this right now Jessica…" His eyes shook and she slowly nodded her head.

"It's too soon." Gibby and Janet were currently doing their own stuff, not paying any attention to the two and giving them privacy. "What am I thinking?"

"I don't know." His heart was pounding, the blood rising beyond his cheeks. The same effect was happening to her. They were bound together by their history, by their pasts, but they were willing to put that away. Their feelings still confused the living hell out of them. "I think I'm going a bit crazy though." He smirked subtly and continued to gaze into her eyes.

"Been there, done that, right?"

"Yeah." She swallowed hard and tried to tear her gaze away. His hand on her arm, it was not hard, it was not forced, it did not hurt. It was gentle, it was tender, like his strong eyes. "You're a really great singer, I can't believe I never heard you sing before."

"You never really stopped to listen."

"I know."

"I've had a crush on you…since I was a kid…"

"I know." His voice softened and touched her like a warm drop of honey. "So have I. I know you've forgiven me, everyone else has forgiven me, and I'm in the process of forgiving myself, but…I still kick myself over hurting you. I could never do that…I lost it big time." Jessica breathed in deep as Jeremy slowly exhaled. She closed her eyes and felt his warm breath breeze against her cool cheeks. She felt like she was standing on a beach, opening herself up against the warm breeze of the ocean tides and her hair was flying behind her. She wanted that breeze to take her.

"You wouldn't lose yourself again, I'm sure of it."

"I need time to think. A lot of time. So do you."

"I know." She slid her arm from his hand and took a step back, holding his gaze still. "I want you to have something." Jeremy raised his eyebrow as Jessica reached into her pant pocket. "Mom let me do this…"

"What is it?" Jessica pulled her hand out, and along with it, a gold watch. A gift? He couldn't possibly accept it. "Jessica, I couldn't-"

"Shh, I want you to have it." She grabbed his arm and pushed the watch onto his wrist, it was a perfect fit. He looked at it and smiled slightly at the gold trim and the face of the watch. The hands were positioned perfectly at the one and two. Underneath the hands was a rectangular box with numbers that counted the seconds down. "It was my fathers. He wore it until the day he left for Iraq..." He was still over there, and everyone back home was waiting for his return.

"Jess…" He frowned and looked into her eyes. She bit her lip and closed her eyes.

"Now here's what I want you to do. I want you to make damn sure this watch stays in the condition that it is in. Got that?" He smiled and slowly nodded his head, he would gladly take care of it. "Okay, and when you see me again, then return it to me. If you've done what I asked and kept it safe and working…" She sighed as she pulled her hands away, perhaps when her father returned home, the watch would be returned._ "Treat it like my heart."_

"I'll keep it safe and in perfect condition. I have to go, though…my plane's leaving in half an hour."

"Right." She looked at her mom and Gibby, they were still hugely unaware of what was going on. They were so engrossed in the scripture, Janet teaching Gibby some verses. She smiled and quickly leaned up, giving Jeremy a quick peck on the cheek. Suddenly the blood gushed to the area on his cheek that her lips touched and his hand shot up to his cheek. "See you around…Have a good plane trip, got that?"

"I-I will." He watched her walk back to her mother and held his gaze for what seemed like forever. Gibby looked up at him, as if to ask if he was ready to go, and he slowly nodded his head. The two brothers left the church together and Jeremy rode all the way to the airport in total silence, staring at the watch and studying it carefully. It was a promise, but a promise of what? Was it a test? He couldn't figure it out, but no matter what, he would keep this watch perfectly safe. That kiss on the cheek made him so dazed, feeling like he was on air so much that he wasn't even sure if he said goodbye to Gibby, which he did. Even while on the plane, he continued to study the watch. _"I will treat this like her heart."_  


* * *

The next chapter is, yes, another time change somewhat. It will be focused on family and Jeremy's stepdad takes a stand on all this drama.


	35. The Love of a Family

Boarded

A/N:

* * *

Chapter 35 (The Love of a Family)

Charlotte Gibson sat at the dinner table with her husband, David, and her two sons. It had been a month and Jeremy had only talked to Gibby. He said he was doing a lot of thinking and that he was afraid. David peered down at the family dog, a toy beagle. It wanted table scraps. Sandy, that was the dog's name. Sandy was not allowed table scraps, but that didn't stop the boys from feeding her anyway. Charlotte forked her food on the plate, staring aimlessly at it. Something she'd been doing a lot of lately. All this drama was really irritating to David. "What could we do to make him feel welcome?"

"Just be our usual old selves, Mom." Gibby smiled and Guppy shifted in his seat. He really wanted to meet his oldest brother, he'd heard so much about him. David tapped his fingers on the table as the family ate their food slowly. "He's afraid of how everyone's going to take him." They all knew of Jeremy's past, obviously, and they all knew the things he had done. David was growing weary of this drama. All he knew was his wife wanted her son, the boys wanted their brother, and the dog still wanted table scraps. Nobody was getting any younger and life just wasn't going to wait. They were going to be old by the time Jeremy sucked up his pride and came to them!

"That's it, enough is enough." The family looked at him with bemused expressions as he stood up from the table. He was going to get Jeremy into this family even if he had to drag him in kicking and screaming. He walked over to the coat rack and grabbed his jacket. He threw it on and placed a fedora cap on his head. "Get dressed, start packing. If he won't come to us, then damn it, we're going to go to him!"

"David, isn't it a bit sudden?" Charlotte stood up suddenly, half joy and half nervousness clear on her face.

"You've waited long enough, Gibby and Guppy have waited long enough, and I intend on making sure you don't have to wait another second." Charlotte smiled at her husband's determination, he seemed so sure. "While you get ready, I'm going to drop Sandy off with grandpa. Try to have everything you need for this trip so we can go when we get back." Gibby smiled and nodded as Charlotte nearly jumped for joy. Guppy looked around with confusion, but soon realized that they were going to go see Jeremy. "Come on, Sandy." David took the dog and started gathering all of the pup's stuff needed for a short stay at the grandpa's home. As he did all of this, the rest of the family started their packing. Charlotte was nearly overcome with tears. Gibby saw this and hugged her, he felt the same.

"It won't be long mom, now we get to see Jeremy." She still needed to do the dishes and everything, nobody really ate, so they probably would be hungry when they got to Texas. Perhaps it was a good time to make talk to Jeremy, over a family dinner. She rushed to make sure Gibby and Guppy were ready for everything, she cleaned the house in a hurry and did the dishes, but making sure to preserve the food for another time. It took a little over an hour, but everything was perfect. David made it home just in time. He opened the front door and everyone was waiting in the living room.

"Everyone ready?" He stepped in and sniffed the air. The warm scent of pine and oak met his nose with pleasure, he hadn't expected Charlotte to clean the house up. He looked around and smiled as he hugged her and kissed her. "Great job honey, I have to say, I'm impressed."

"I needed something to do about my excitement…" She chuckled nervously and he smiled at her. Damn he loved this woman.

"Okay then, the car's ready." He looked to his sons and they grinned back at him. "Let's get a move on, boys. I hope you've packed for a couple days. We'll be staying there for a bit, I've already reserved a hotel and everything." One would think Guppy would be the first to race out of the house, but it was in fact Gibby who went running first. Guppy laughed and ran after him. Charlotte watched her sons and wiped her eye, then kissed David on the cheek.

"Thank you, David." David smiled at her and placed his hand on the small of her back. They walked out of the house together and he made sure to flick the lights off and close the locked door.

It was not a long plane ride, but it felt like eternity. Guppy became bored rather quickly and kept whining about how long it was taking. This became a constant problem until Gibby traded his window seat with Guppy. Guppy had then become so fascinated and entranced by the fluffy clouds, it made Gibby happy and let him go back to reading his book. Charlotte spent a long time calming herself down and chatting up the stewardess. David spent the majority of the plane ride in thought, trying to figure out what his next step was going to be.

When they made it to the hotel, David instructed them to meet him at Outback Steakhouse by six o'clock. It was only five, so it left enough time for them to get situated and for David to find Jeremy. He then drove to Chestnut and made his way on campus, he would normally have stopped to look around at the scenery, but he was a man on a mission. The first person he ran into was Melanie, he recognized her as Sam Puckett's twin sister. "Hey, you're Miss Puckett, right?" Melanie was sitting on a bench, putting books in her backpack. She looked up and nodded.

"Yeah, I'm Melanie. I have to go to my boyfriend's ball game, classes made me run a bit late. Is there something you need?"

"I'm looking for Jeremy Elliot. I'm his father, well…sort of." Realization flashed before her eyes and she let out a gasp. This was beyond perfect! Jeremy and Freddie were actually becoming friendly with each other, so she talked to him often. Jeremy actually had a very good respect for Freddie as a baseball player, so it was good common ground for them.

"Oh my god, his family's here? He's playing in the game with Freddie and Kevin. You should see him, he's the star pitcher!" David's face softened and a smile graced his lips. This was something to be proud of.

"Would you take me to him?"

"Of course!" Melanie threw her backpack over her shoulder and headed in the direction of the ball game. When they arrived, they saw Jeremy on the mound, ready to strike out a member of the opposing team. "This is really just practice." David nodded and watched with immense pride as Jeremy threw the pitch. His ball-playing had become much better since the air had been cleared. He didn't have any more anger to focus on and could put full focus on the sport.

He struck the batter out and David cheered him on. Jeremy lifted his head up and looked over in surprise, this was very unexpected. The game came to an end and Freddie was the first to come out. Freddie embraced his girlfriend and kissed her lips. "Good to see class didn't keep you too long."

"Yeah, you were great. Jeremy did well too." Freddie nodded and looked over as Jeremy walked in his direction.

"Hey man, good pitching out there!"

"Thanks." Jeremy stared at David, who had his arms crossed. He raised an eyebrow and looked down at the watch on his wrist. It was still in perfect condition, he wore it as a good luck charm. He pressed his lips together and looked to Melanie. "Have you heard from Jessica today?"

"Yes, she's doing well." Jessica was coping well with Shane's death and moving on. She and her mother moved to Seattle just a week ago and she was already showing herself to be adjusting very well. She and Jeremy had exchanged letters on occasion, they kept every letter. Their friendship had really been blossoming.

"That's great to hear. Now who's this guy you brought to the game with you?" He jerked his thumb to David. Melanie smiled brightly and Jeremy's eyebrows rose. He knew that smile, it meant she knew something big and wasn't about to reveal it. "Uh oh...what do you know?" Freddie laughed and Melanie ran her fingers over her lips in a zipper motion. Defeated, he sighed and glanced at David. "Okay, so she's not going to tell me who you are and I really don't want to play guessing games, so uh…who are you?"

"Your dad." Jeremy's eyes widened and his jaw fell, the color instantly began draining from his face. Here? Now? His family? He looked around rapidly, trying to see if Gibby was anywhere to be found. David smiled at him and placed his hand on Jeremy's shoulder. "They're all waiting for you at the Outback Steakhouse. I don't want to sound harsh or anything, but skipping out on your family is not an option."

"F-Family?"

"Yes. Enough with all this drama, Jeremy, no more of it. You're a part of this family whether you like it or not. Do you understand me?" David looked him seriously in the eyes and Jeremy's face softened up remarkably. A smile graced his lips as his watch reflected in the sun.

"Yeah, I understand. I'll come along."

"Glad you agreed to that, because if you didn't want to come along, I might have to tie you up and throw you in the car." David smirked and Jeremy laughed.

"You would have had to _catch_ me first."

"Oh don't think I couldn't do that." Jeremy laughed again as David glanced at his watch. They needed to get a move on _now_. Freddie and Melanie watched and laughed as David started hurrying Jeremy to the car. Once in the passenger seat, Jeremy leaned back and sighed. David entered the driver's side and started up the engine. Soon, they were on the road.

"You guys came all the way out here for me?" David stared ahead at the road as Jeremy looked curiously to him.

"Your mother cries herself to sleep at night. Your brother stays up late thinking about when he's going to get to talk to you again and he sometimes spends his spare time talking to you on the phone rather than doing his homework or even talking to his girlfriend…" Jeremy looked to the ground as David pulled to a stop at a red light. "Guppy can only dream of the older brother that he has never met. You may _think_ this is all about you and you're the only person in this whole messed up situation that's affected, but I come bearing some breaking news." Jeremy slowly lifted his eyes to David. The light turned green and David took a left turn. "You're not."

"It's hard…" He didn't know everyone was so affected, he honestly didn't. He knew they had to be thinking something, but he was always so afraid. Leave it to his stepdad to come get him, though.

"It's odd, I'm surprised you just simply came with me." Jeremy laughed and gave David a small smile. "You'd think through all you've been through, you wouldn't have gotten in the car with anybody." He shrugged as David turned into the parking lot of the restaurant. His heart began slamming in his chest, he thought he was going to have a heart attack.

"To be honest, I knew what you looked like. Jessica managed to email me a picture of you, Gibby says he doesn't have a scanner."

"We don't." David parked the car and shut it off. His eyebrows rose and fell momentarily as he slowly looked over to Jeremy. "Jessica? As in Jessica Trent? Gibby told us that you were starting to get a little closer to her."

"She's…" He smiled and looked down at the watch. "She is a great woman."

"You sound very happy with her, to be honest."

"We're putting the bad stuff behind us, moving on from that. I want to show her that I wouldn't hurt her…and I wouldn't. Now that I know the truth, I keep kicking myself, and she constantly reminds me that I shouldn't. I made a horrible mistake and nothing can ever justify what I did to her."

"There are far worse things that you could have done to her, Jeremy." Jeremy paled and swallowed hard. True, there were a number of worse things that could have happened between the two, thank god nothing ever did. "Now, are you ready?" Jeremy lifted his head and nodded.

"Scared as hell, though."

"It will be okay. Everyone wants to see you. So badly…"

"I'm sorry it took so long…" David chuckled and placed his hand on Jeremy's shoulder, giving him a fatherly squeeze. Jeremy looked up and saw that the man's eyes were a little misty. David looked in the rearview mirror, and there they stood. In the middle of the parking lot, Gibby stood behind Guppy while Charlotte stood next to him, looking ready to break down and cry if she didn't see her son in the next five seconds.

"Let's get out, I don't want your mother having a panic attack. She's been so long without you that she's almost afraid she's never going to see you." Jeremy nodded and adjusted his baseball cap, part of him wished that he had more warning and could have actually changed clothes.

The men exited the car and Jeremy's eyes locked onto his mother's. His breath went away and his eyes went wide. It was really her, really, truly her. His hands shook and he took a small step forward. Slowly he lifted his hand up. Was it a dream? She was smiling at him, her eyes red from the tears she wept. She was so beautiful, his mother. She didn't look any different at all. "M-Mom, is that really you?"

"Jeremy…" Charlotte walked towards her son, slowly, but surely. It was a miracle, a true miracle. Jeremy was also eighteen by now, no longer bound by any custodial laws. That meant, if he wanted to live with them, he could. "My son!" Jeremy and Charlotte practically fell into each other's arms. She gripped him tightly in her arms and his hat fell to the ground. Sobbing loudly, she swore to never let him go.

"Mom, I'm here. I'm here." He wept. Never before had he been so grateful for a second chance at life, a second chance to see his mom again. He tightened his hug and choked back his sobs. "I'm sorry mom, I'm so sorry. Don't hate me."

"I love you baby, you're my son, I'll always love you." She rubbed her hands up his back and closed her fingers on his shirt. She was so proud of him, a young aspiring baseball player. She was proud of the man he was becoming, proud of the man he would become. Jeremy's heart pulsated and his chest began doing flips. Jessica was right, a mother's love overlooked everything.

Charlotte looked at him and started grooming his hair with her hand. She couldn't express in words just how happy she was to have him back. "I was so afraid that I wouldn't be accepted. I was afraid…"

"Don't be afraid anymore. All that matters…is you are with us and we're with you."

"Mom, I'm a Christian now. I'm saved." Charlotte smiled and cupped her hands over her mouth, she was so glad to hear that. She knew he'd been talking to Jessica a lot more lately, the girl must be having a positive effect on him. She was grateful to her, then. Jeremy felt someone tug at his shirt and he looked down to see Guppy peering up at him with an inquisitive look. He smiled and rubbed Guppy's head. "Hey there, I'm your older brother, Jeremy." Guppy grinned and quickly hugged Jeremy's legs.

"Yay!" Jeremy smiled and met Gibby's eyes. Gibby smirked knowingly and tilted his head. He almost wanted to say 'I told you so' but refrained. He joined in the family hug and everybody wept. David smiled and wrapped his arms around them, as though protecting them all from harm. Jeremy lifted his eyes to the sky and smiled widely. To have a family, it felt good, it felt special. They actually came to get him, it meant a lot to know that his family would come to him. He knew they would respect his desire to finish school there first, it would end in early May and he'd be able to move in with them then. After that, he wasn't sure when he'd start college. Now that he'd found them, he sure as hell wasn't going to lose them. They loved him, he loved them, his family.

* * *

I hope you liked this chapter. I rather enjoyed the drive that the dad had, sort of a 'get things done' kind of person, a real good role model and father figure. You're going to see this a lot later on in someone that has only been mentioned once, Daddy Trent. You will be amazed, but we won't see him for about ten more chapters. You will see a lot of similarities between that man and Jeremy. Anyway, again, hope you enjoyed this chapter, let me know your thoughts about it.


	36. Friendly and Unfriendly Competition

Boarded

A/N:

* * *

Chapter 36 (Friendly and Unfriendly Competition)

Freddie and Kevin sat on the couch, playing a video game together. It was a very somber, momentous occasion. They had one more month left before Kevin graduated and then Freddie would be a senior. It had been a fun year together, filled with lots of love from their girlfriends. "I guess the board decided to keep you guys around." Freddie jokingly smirked at his friend and Kevin broke out in a laugh.

"They couldn't stand letting one of their star players go. I told them it was either they keep Penny at the school and let her graduate or they lose both of us." Freddie smiled as he hit the swing button and ran his character to first base. "Man real life beats this stuff."

"You can say that again."

"Real life beats this stuff." He grinned and Freddie chuckled to himself. It had been an interesting year thus far, filled with many surprises. Though in his mind, the greatest thing that took place was falling in love with Melanie. "So, are you guys going to go home for the summer?"

"Yeah, planning on it. Melanie's not actually gotten a chance to get home in a while." Of course, they'd have to get back by the end of the summer. He and Melanie had been 'recruited' onto the welcoming committee, taking Kevin and Penny's place. He sighed and relaxed his arms a bit, glancing over at Kevin. "Of course we can't stay the whole time because someone decided to appoint me team leader on the welcoming committee. Just randomly, out of the blue. I don't even know if they're going to look up to me like that." It wasn't like Kevin lived out a legacy or anything and Freddie was worried about living up to it, no it wasn't like that at all. It was more like he had not really been involved much with the welcoming committee, and now all of a sudden, he was going to be their leader next year. "Unless they have a requirement that their leader be a senior baseball player, I still think I'm under qualified to do the job and you should have appointed someone else who has more experience on the committee and was more active throughout the year!" Freddie tried to make his videogame character run to home base, but he'd been struck out. "Aw man, so close!" Kevin gave him a smug smirk and patted him on the back. "You are so going down!"

"Better luck next time, and you may _try_." It was his turn to strike Kevin out now. "You know, you were plenty active with the group. I mean hell, about as active as everyone else. All you have to do really is know everything about the campus." Freddie blinked as his friend shrugged his shoulders and watched the game switch the teams around. "So no pressure there, right?"

"No pressure? I have to come back a month early and memorize every little detail about the campus?"

"Yeah, did I neglect to mention that?" Kevin chuckled nervously while Freddie moaned and dropped his head into his lap.

"That's it dude, I am _calling you out!_" Kevin frowned and raised his eyebrow. He knew well what that meant. Freddie was challenging him to a game of actual baseball, but they needed a team. "Grab your bat girl, let's gather up our teams, I am going to _crush_ you!" Kevin smirked as the two rose from the couch and shook each other's hands.

"Think you can rally up the dream team? Cause you're going to need a _dream_ team."

"Oh, you want to talk the smack? Well bring it on little miss! I got a secret weapon, and I'm not talking about lady luck." They stared into each other's eyes, each of them twitching one eyebrow.

"See if you get that first."

"Oh I will. Meet me at the quad in half an hour! You are going _down_ like yesterday's pie." He was referring to the pie that Melanie and Penny made. It did not last very long at all, for the boys scarfed it down in no time. They needed a team of three. A batter, a pitcher, and a runner. The girls would serve as the catcher and 'bat girls' for their team captain.

Half an hour passed and the teams made it to the quad, Kevin and Freddie eyed each other's team with mixed feelings of certainty and uncertainty. Freddie smirked at Kevin, crossing his arms as Melanie waved politely. On his side stood Terrance, from the welcoming committee, and Jeremy. Kevin's jaw fell and he pointed to the two. "That is not right! The best pitcher and the best runner on the basketball team?"

"Yep, and don't forget the best ball girl." Melanie blushed as Freddie wagged his eyebrows at Kevin. Kevin had a couple ballplayers on his team and hadn't actually found Jeremy, obviously. He hoped to find him first, but failed.

"You may _think_ you have the best ball girl, but my lady, Penny, here is the best girl around." Penny closed her eyes and felt a hint of pink rush to her cheeks. Jeremy merely laughed at the display, these guys were having too much fun. Evidently that was the way it was with best friends.

"You two think you got the best ball girls around, huh?" Jeremy tried to think back and could remember playing ball out in the yard with Jessica and Gibby as children. Sam not so much, though she did get into it on occasion. He couldn't help but wonder if Jessica still could rock a ball cap and still look adorable.

"We know we do, unless you know something we don't." Freddie smirked at Jeremy and he shrugged. Jessica was just one of those girls who enjoyed playing the sport and couldn't help but to wonder if perhaps she still enjoyed playing it during some recreational time.

"Well do your girls actually play the game?" Penny looked at her nails and slowly lifted her eyes up, she never cared to play the game and only rooted for Kevin. She'd never actually been out on the field. Melanie was a tennis player, so she knew a thing or two about sports, but she never really tried to play baseball. Jeremy smirked as he watched the girls shake their heads. "Exactly. Now what would you say if I told you I knew a girl who _could_ play baseball and probably kick your asses while doing it with one hand tied behind her back?" Terrance whistled and looked over at Jeremy.

"Where is this girl and does she have a boyfriend?" Jeremy raised an eyebrow as Melanie threw her hand to her mouth and stifled a laugh. He placed his hand on Terrance's shoulder and smirked deviously, his eyes lighting up in a friendly, but combative way.

"Are you sure you're on the right team, Terrance? I want to make sure not to hit you with my knuckler when you're running the bases."

"Yeah well you'd have to catch me first." Melanie's phone went off, so she grabbed it. She received a text message. "Hey, I thought we all agreed to shut off our phones for this, she's got hers on!" Freddie looked over and waved dismissively.

"Yeah but someone's meeting her on the campus. You know, for a visit. Her cousin hasn't seen the campus and wants to see what it's like." Jeremy's eyebrows rose and his heart skipped a beat. Cousin? There was only one cousin of Melanie's that he knew. Was Jessica really here to visit Melanie? "She needs to have her cell phone ready because Jessica doesn't know the way here."

"Jessica's coming here?" Jeremy's throat tightened up and he began feeling tongue tied. He looked down at the watch on his wrist and smiled, mint condition still. Damn he was proud. Melanie lifted her eyes to him and smiled as he tried to hide the fact that he was very nervous. Freddie and the others couldn't tell, but she could. "She's coming here now? I mean right at this minute?" Melanie looked at the text message and grinned.

"Yep, I told her to meet me at the quad and she just asked for directions. She's on the campus now! She said she found someone who's able to bring her here." Melanie told Jessica about the challenge going on between Freddie and Kevin, and how Freddie was going to wipe the floor with Kevin's team. "She's eager to see the game." Realization dawning on her, she placed her hand to her lips as her eyes widened momentarily. "Oh! I forgot to tell her who was on the teams! She might want to know you're on the team, Jeremy." Freddie raised his eyebrow and glanced over curiously at her.

"And why would she want to know that?"

"Well because…she just would." Freddie knew Jessica had been in contact a little with Jeremy, he just didn't know how much. It was one of those things where he felt he didn't need to know all the details.

"So is she going to show up? Can we get this game started or do we have to wait for her?"

"Well you're in luck, I just arrived." Jessica's voice wafted through the air and enchanted those around her. They looked in her direction and saw her grinning. "Melanie!"

"Jessie!" The two girls exchanged a happy hug and broke apart. That's when she noticed him, or felt his presence. A wave of heat flew over her body as she moved her eyes to him. The electricity sparked when their eyes met. He smiled at her, a smile that caused the blood in her to rise to her cheeks. Damn the effect he was having on her.

"Jeremy, hi." She spoke breathlessly as Jeremy made a mock salute. She trailed her eyes down his body and to the watch on his wrist. She smiled and moved closer to him. His heart matched each footfall she made. Everyone around them seemed to disappear as she lifted his wrist up. He looked down at the watch, then back into her beautiful eyes. "You kept it safe."

"I promised I'd keep it safe, didn't I?" His words were soft and quiet and her touch was like the touch of an angel. "How are you, Jessica?"

"I'm doing very well. Thanks for asking." She continued to gaze into his eyes, her heart pounding, growing in strength with each hit. The longer she gazed into those blue pools of his, the more she felt like crashing. "Didn't know you were on the team. Freddie pulled you into his friendly little competition?"

"Yeah, got me involved because of my pitching skills." Freddie rolled his eyes and pinched the bridge of his nose, he was beginning to grow impatient. "It's been a month and a few weeks since…how are you doing with all that?"

"Coping with it one day at a time, it still hurts a little, but it's better now." Could he feel the tension too? She had to wonder that. She didn't know, though, he was questioning the same thing. So desperately they wanted to take the other in their arms. The fact that they liked each other before did make it easier, and the bad part of their past was behind them. Now, it was a matter of whoever was ready and were these feelings okay to have? "How are you handling everything, Jeremy? Is your family as happy to see you as I thought they'd be?"

"Yes. Very happy." Just then a feminine voice called out, it was the other female player on Kevin's team. She was becoming impatient as well.

"Are we here to play ball or are we here for crap?" Jeremy froze, recognizing the voice. He hadn't actually seen all of Kevin's teammates, she was a bit hidden from the rest. Jessica frowned and felt him tense up, she wondered who this girl was. The girl stepped into view and narrowed her eyes. She grabbed her baseball cap and took it off, letting her lush red hair fall from the hat and land upon her shoulders. Jeremy swallowed hard and his hands closed up as he looked away. She pointed to Jessica and glared. "And you can stay _away_ from my man!"

"What?" Jeremy's head shot up and he glared angrily at the woman. There was no risk of him becoming violent though, as he was not that.

"Candice, we split up! I called it off!" Jessica's eyes widened and her lips turned down as her anger began to flare up. So this was Candice. Jeremy wondered where Kevin found her, because she was not on the baseball team. No, she was on the women's baseball team.

"I don't think I agreed to that. All you said was 'it's over' and walked away. You never answered my calls or anything after that."

"You slept with six other people just because I wouldn't…" Jessica growled and moved her eyes along the bewildered members of Freddie's team. Everyone in the area was not only afraid of a heated spat between a former couple split up, but a cat fight about to happen. They could see it in Jessica's eyes, she wanted to tear this woman apart. She walked to Freddie and narrowed her eyes.

"I'm on the team now, got that?" Jeremy paled and Freddie began to sweat under her intense glare. Her fiery demeanor could not be beat and he was not about to argue with her. He had to remember that Melanie was the sweet one in the family, Jessica and Sam could be the angry ones. Kevin was quick to protest.

"The teams are uneven!"

"So find another player!" Kevin groaned and closed his eyes, where was he going to find another player on such short notice? Freddie wasn't sure how Jessica fared at baseball, but if she wanted to play, she could. Melanie tapped her lower lip and looked around until she spotted someone on the quad reading a book. She nudged Jessica and pointed. Jessica looked over and smiled. "Hey! You reading the book!" The boy looked up at her and was dazzled by her appearance, she was pretty. Jeremy raised an eyebrow as the boy quickly ran over to her.

"What is it Miss?"

"Would you join their baseball team? They need a player." She winked and the boy nodded. Jeremy rolled his eyes and looked away. This kid had to be at least fifteen years old and he was crushing on an older woman.

"Gladly, I like baseball a little."

"Thank you!" Kevin sighed and rubbed his temples in annoyance. Penny chuckled lightly and kissed his cheek, which did calm him down a bit. "Okay play ball." She moved her eyes to Candice, who looked at her with a smug smirk. _"But the bitch is mine."_

"Jessica…" Jeremy had a warning tone in his voice, he did _not_ want anything to happen here. No fight needed to break out, nothing needed to happen.

"What? Hmph." Jessica flipped her hair back and walked on to where everybody would be. Jeremy was first up to pitch, which really disappointed Kevin, he knew he was going down. Freddie and Kevin shook each other's hand and looked into the other's eyes.

"You know the run down, Kev. If I win, you have to come back here during that month and help me memorize everything. If you win, I will memorize _everything_, ten times more than I really need to memorize."

"Sounds good to me." Kevin smirked and walked off to his team. "Play ball!" The game began and carried on, the majority of Jessica's time was spent glaring down Candice. She watched this girl closely and was ready to pounce on her if she made so much as the wrong move.

When it was her turn to bat, Candice was pitching. Jessica narrowed her eyes and swung the bat in the air, warming up for the winning shot. They were ahead by six points, so she was going to give them a home run. Candice was confident she'd striker this girl out though. Candice narrowed her eyes and smirked.

"What's the matter bitch, can't stand looking at someone superior than you in every way?" Jessica's eyes widened and she stared at Candice with disbelief, how dare she say that!

"You're one to talk."

"Oh, well at least he didn't beat _me_." Jessica gasped and Jeremy froze, his eyes wide in shock. Everyone gasped and stared at each other, how did Candice know _that_ about Jeremy? Jessica looked at Jeremy, he looked about ready to crack. She'd seen him appear ready to cry before on several occasions over the years, and she'd seen him actually cry within the last month, but this right here was bad. "He never laid his hands on anyone except _you_. I wonder why that is." She was trying to psyche Jessica out, but she was pissing her off more than anything, and everyone knew this. Jessica shifted her eyes over to Candice, then back to Jeremy, but he was gone.

"Shit…" Jessica closed her eyes and growled as Candice said something else, she wasn't sure what it was though. "Shut." She slowly opened her eyes to narrow slits. "The." Candice readied herself for the pitch, feeling she psyched Jessica out. "Fuck." The ball was thrown and everyone watched as Jessica swung the bat and cracked the ball far into the air, a definite home run. "UP!"

"Wow." Freddie whistled as he watched the ball, but more entertaining things were taking place now. Jessica roared and instead of running the bases, she ran to the pitcher's mound and tackled Candice to the ground. Candice screamed as Jessica pulled her hair and punched her in the face. "Oh god! Guys come on!" Melanie gasped and covered her mouth as Jessica slapped Candice's face multiple times.

"You will _never_ talk about him like that, you hear me? He is so much more than that, you little bitch! He's got a heart, he's a good person, and unless you know what our past was like, I suggest you shut the fuck up right now!" Candice called out, but for some reason, nobody really wanted to help her.

"Help me, she's mauling me!"

"Oh I'm not going to do anything but beat the shit out of you! You will _not_ talk about_ my m-"_ Stopping herself she shook her head and growled. "Jeremy, you won't talk about Jeremy in such a manner! He's changed, that crap isn't even important to me anymore! Don't you see I'm trying to get him to realize this? He doesn't need to feel guilty! I care! I care…" Tears stung her eyes as her heart raced. Suddenly she felt strong hands under her arm lift her up. She was livid and in such a daze that she wasn't sure what was going on. She screamed and turned around, punching the chest and face of the person who pulled her off Candice. When she realized it was Jeremy, she gasped and threw her hands to her mouth. "Oh god! I'm so sorry!"

"Ouch." Jeremy closed his eyes and chuckled to himself. "I deserved that."

"No you didn't! Oh god…" She lifted her hand up and gingerly touched her finger to the spot where she punched him. There was going to be a big bruise there for a little while. "I lost it…god…" She pulled away from him and quickly ran away from the quad.

"Jessica!" Jeremy sighed while Melanie watched her cousin's departing figure with prolonged hesitation. What just happened? Freddie and Kevin exchanged nervous glances while Jeremy ran his hand through his hair. Kevin felt guilty for having asked Candice to join his team.

"Damn it!" Kevin quickly helped Candice to her feet and glared at her. "I told you to tell me if you had a history with _anyone!_ You lied to me!"

"Well I wanted to be here just in case there was any threat that might keep me from my Jerry." Jeremy growled dangerously and glared at her through the corner of his eyes. He swore off violence, so he wouldn't punch her, but he had a feeling Melanie was about to do that very thing. He looked to Melanie and could tell she was steaming. Her eyes were narrow, her face was red, and her gaze was giving off so much fury. He didn't want to stick around to watch this, he had to go talk to Jessica.

"Candice, I said it then and I'll say it now. I _never_ want to see your face again! Now leave me the fuck alone."

"But Jerry!"

"My name is _Jeremy_, not Jerry! Another thing…You can't compete with her, so don't even try." Jeremy clenched his fists and walked away from the group in swift pursuit of Jessica. Right now, she was the only thing on his mind.

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Hope you liked this chapter. It's more of a Freddie/Keith bonding chapter that goes bad in the end, and Jessica goes ballistic on the infamous Candice. The next chapter, you will LOVE the next chapter.


	37. Unbridled Emotions

Boarded

A/N:Because this chapter was part of the last one, I'm putting it up earlier. It's supposed to be called "Flowers" but I chose something else for good reason.

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Chapter 37 (Unbridled Emotion)

Jessica ran down to the campus lake where nobody was, she didn't even know where it was and just happened upon it. She wiped her teary eyes and stared at her hands. How could she have done that? How could she have hit him? She hadn't even known what was going on, she was in such a blind rage that she didn't know what she was doing or what she was saying. That woman, she hit that woman too. But she deserved it didn't she? No, no she didn't. Nobody deserved to be attacked like that.

Jessica moaned and ran to the lake, feeling disgusted with herself. She was reminded of the times when Jeremy used to hit her, afterwards he would always look a bit guilty, but then the rage would envelop around him. That didn't matter anymore because she knew more now, she forgave him. She knelt down in front of the water and quickly ran her hands into it. "Come on! Clean off, clean off, clean off please." She rubbed her hands together, scrubbing them vigorously. Anymore and she might rub her hands raw. "I didn't mean it, I didn't mean to lost control, honest!"

Jessica brought her hands up and thought about how Jeremy would look with that bruise on her face. She couldn't believe she _hit_ him. All he was doing was pulling her off and she hit him, but she didn't know it was him. Why did rage have to rule their lives? Why did anger have such a say. "Why are we angry people?" She brought her hands to her face and began a light sob. She would never have lost it if Candice had just stopped talking, but the way she was going on and on was horrible.

"We don't have to be." Jessica gasped and lowered her hands, staring at the water. She gazed at her reflection, next to her was the reflection of Jeremy standing next to her. She turned her head to him and looked into his eyes, they were so soft, so kindred. "Here." He extended his hand and she placed hers in his. He pulled her up and smiled lightly at her. She lifted a tentative hand and gently caressed his face, trying to hold back her tears. "Really, it's nothing. It wasn't you, Jessica. You weren't being you. I wasn't sure where you ran, so I had to ask if anyone saw a lady running by and they pointed me in the direction of the lake. Funny thing…water…" Jessica tilted her head as Jeremy turned to the lake and gazed out at it, the cool wind softly caressing his body as he turned. "Water was the first place I found whenever I hurt you…" Jessica pressed her lips together and turned towards the water. She remembered every time he hurt her, he would take a shower. Sometimes, if she tried to spy on him, she'd hear noises like him trying to hold back his own cries.

"You regretted every time, didn't you." Her voice softened and Jeremy's eyes dropped down. He hated himself for the longest time, and was just starting to learn how _not_ to hate himself. Jessica made him a happier person, was transforming him into a better person, whether anyone would want to admit it or not.

"I thought I was a violent person, so much so that I swore off violence when I left prison, but my anger was still there. My rage was still there." He chuckled sarcastically and looked into the sky, scowling just a bit. "Slave to my anger. Prisoner of my own hatred." Jessica looked up at him as he narrowed his eyes. "I let nobody in, because I was afraid of hurting them too. I couldn't control myself. Almost like Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde or the Incredible Hulk, I wanted to stop, I wanted someone to save me. It got to the point where I was so intent on dying that I wanted to take the person I cared most about with me…" He looked to the ground and Jessica slowly entangled her fingers with his.

"Jeremy…"

"Selfish, I know. I did everything to not do it, to prolong it, but even that tortured me." Jessica's eyes quivered, a lump formed in her throat. Was that what was really going on at the rodeo? Was he going to kill himself? Her struggling made it harder for him, and in reality, it was her own struggling that made her hit the mirror in the bathroom. "That day at the rodeo, that was going to be it. And then you struggled, I thought some more and purposely moved you around and took you into the hallway just to prolong the whole thing because I didn't want to kill you…God I could never kill you!"

"The thought never really crossed your mind, did it?"

"In those moments, Jessica. Just before you…got into me in your usual way…I was about to turn the gun onto myself." Everyone else interrupted him, and then she interrupted him. Stopped him from taking his own life. This was hard for him to talk about and it created an incredible strain upon him, literally shooting waves of pain throughout his entire body. "Then your uncle shows up, Tyler appears, everything is blown to hell…and somehow, I felt like less of a monster."

"Because I got through to you…" She smiled at him and he looked at her, the corners of his lips lifting up a tiny bit. She got through to him in ways no one ever had. She finally had the courage to just talk to him, to touch his heart and start melting away the ice, the darkness. "You're no monster, Jeremy. You're a human being, a man, and a great person. You just need someone, like all of us do. You need someone to help you, to make you happy, to love you…" She turned to face him and took his hands in hers, smiling into his eyes.

"You know, you really do take the whole _Beauty and the Beast _thing seriously, don't you." She closed her eyes and tilted her head a slight bit, which caused him to laugh. She was so cute. His heart pulsated and he could feel the heat once again overwhelming him. What the hell was it that did this? This attraction he had to her, it was remarkable. It was as though he wanted to scoop her up, hold her, kiss her, but would she really even want him to? No, she was feeling the same things, he was almost certain of it. "You know, I would never hit you…not again, I wouldn't hurt you in-" She lifted her finger up and placed it on his lips, surprising him.

"Shh." She lowered her voice to a whisper and let her eyelids slide down halfway as she leaned in. "I know. I know you wouldn't. Now stop talking about that please. Let's not talk about Candice either…" That woman made her feel horrible and made her want to lose control when she didn't want to. He lowered his voice and closed his eyes.

"I swear, I thought I was done with her. I don't even want anything to do with her, I haven't even seen her since-"

"Shh, I said enough of her." Jeremy blinked and slowly nodded his eyes, he wasn't going to argue with her about that subject. It was a tender subject and he didn't really even want to talk about it. Jessica lowered her finger and continued to gaze into his eyes, as though they were the world, or a reflection of the world that he saw, and she was reflected in his eyes. Was she becoming his world? Had she _been_ his world? What was his world consisted of? "Let's talk about each other."

"Each other?"

"The fact that to this day I still have that crush on you. It never really went away. Is that odd?" It felt odd. Even when he had let his anger overtake him, when he was violent, he _still_ intrigued her. Maybe it was the look in his eyes that did it, maybe it was the wonder about how he changed that did it, but whatever it was, it still remained that part of her that wasn't afraid of him. Now that the fear was completely gone, that part of her shone like a burning ember, growing stronger and stronger. "I try to control it, try to keep it down, but it's too damn hard. And then, when I do give in to my emotions, I feel like I'm coming on too strong. I know I shouldn't actually be asking _you_ for advice on guys, but I don't know if anyone I know would understand why I would possibly like you. Then there's the fact that I just lost my boyfriend nearly two months ago, but am moving on…but still, I'm so confused." Jeremy smiled slightly as Jessica turned around and scratched the back of her head. The blood rose to her cheeks as her eyes danced over the green field before her. She just bore all, it felt like. Groaning and giving in, she turned around and caught his gaze. Instantly, she melted. "So…what the _hell_ do I do with you?

"Well for starters…" Jeremy placed his hand under her chin and smirked as she pouted her lower lip. He tilted her head up and held her gaze. She just couldn't tear away. "Give it time. Don't be afraid of your emotions, of what you feel, but don't go overboard. Understand and know what may be too much and what may not be enough." She closed her eyelids for a second and reopened them, her lips parted slightly and her body was beginning to heat up. "For example, I will never grab you roughly. I know that doing that would probably be painful and frightening for you. I would always be gentle with you, because you are delicate in every way. Like a flower." Jessica's cheeks were hot. Her blood was pumping vigorously and her heart was racing.

"Be careful there Jeremy." He raised an eyebrow as she swallowed the powerful urge to kiss him on the spot. "You know that like my cousins, I have a weak spot for flowers."

"Oh? Then I suppose you know the meanings of various flowers?"

"I do."

"Tell me then, what is the meaning behind a Gardenia?" Jessica's heart pulsed and her eyes widened. Ecstasy, the Gardenia was typically for a hidden crush, invoking ecstasy and given as if to say they were secretly in love with someone, or that someone was lovely.

"They're a symbol of secret love, of ecstasy." Jeremy wagged his eyebrows once, holding them up for a second before letting them fall. Jessica drew in her breath as he closed his eyes.

"Nice, now I don't suppose that's your favorite flower? No, I don't think so." His forehead creased in thought and Jessica traced those lines with her eyes. "However I do see them as one of your favorites, am I correct?" Jessica slowly nodded and smiled heartily. He would know what her favorite flower was, especially if he paid any attention to her over the years, which she suspected he did. "Now another one of your favorite flowers, I believe, the Lily of the Valley." Her lips parted and the corners moved upwards. A Lily of the Valley flower was bell shaped, pointing downwards, but very beautiful. "They symbolize what I believe is you."

"Oh?" He lowered his arm and continued to hold her gaze. When his hand moved from under her chin, she nearly fell forward. She caught herself before she stumbled and gave out a nervous sigh as she brushed her hair back and looked into his eyes.

"Sweetness and humility, return to happiness, _purity_." She was impressed, he knew his flowers. How was he so knowledgeable? Either way, she loved it. "Now if you'll take my hand…" Jessica placed her hand in his and he closed his fingers over her palm. "I can take you to your favorite flower."

"That would be nice to see." He smiled and led her around the lake and through some bushes. "One of our science teachers plant a variety of flowers here, including your own personal favorite…" Jessica closed her eyes and smiled as she let him lead her to where the flowers were. When they stopped walking, she opened her eyes and gasped. Surrounding them were bushes with several different types of flowers, but all her favorites. There was the Lily of the Valley, there were Gardenias, calla lilies, which represented beauty, and the two favorite flowers of hers.

"I remember as a child, you had two favorites that you could never decide upon." Jessica walked towards the center of this little area and spun around, smiling gleefully. She placed her hand under one of the bell shaped lily of the valley and kissed it. She didn't know why she did that, she had done it since she was a child. She sniffed the gardenias, and then moved to the red star shaped flowers next to the beautifully arranged blue flowers. "The forget-me-not flowers and the Ixora flowers."

"You actually remembered that?" Jessica's eyes went misty as she slowly stood from the flowers. Jeremy slowly nodded and took one of the red Ixora flowers from the bush and tucked it neatly behind her ear. She blushed and closed her eyes, thinking of the meaning behind the two flowers. The forget-me-not symbolized true love and could also be used to symbolize memories while the Ixora often meant the re-kindling of passion.

"My science teacher let me have this area…" Jessica's cheeks flushed as Jeremy picked up a watering pail and began sprinkling the bushes with the water. He'd kept this area clean and alive for a long time. Jessica took one of the forget-me-not flowers and held it close to her chest, she was truly speechless. This sight was breathtaking. It was amazing that Jeremy would even do this.

"So you…grew my favorite flowers?" There was a section for each of them. She was more than impressed, she was absolutely in love with this. Her own little tribute.

"I had to have something…" He wanted to say he had something that kept him alive, something that would make him remember the side of her that he loved, as though he didn't like every part of her as it was. "Am I right to assume these are still your favorite?"

"Yes!" She wrapped her arms around his neck, hugging him, and swiftly planted her lips onto his. His eyes widened and his body jerked from the shock. She was kissing him? She was kissing him! He slowly closed his eyes and moved his hands around her waist, pulling her close as he kissed her back. She was so overcome with joy, so impressed, that she was not aware of what she was doing, she just knew what she wanted.

Their eyes became misty as the pure, raw, emotion surged through them. Jessica held the flower loosely and let it fall from her hands as she closed her arms against the back of his neck. Her breath hitched as she swayed her body against his and let out a moan. Jeremy's eyes shot open and he slowly pulled back from her lips. Realization hit her and she blushed heavily, taking a few steps back as she placed her hand lightly against her cheek. What had she done? It was far too soon for something like that. A date, maybe, but a kiss on such a passionate level? She wasn't even ready for that. "I-I'm sorry Jeremy, I…"

"It's okay, just…" A lump formed in his throat, his face was redder than a tomato. He'd never kissed anybody, not even Candice. "That's uh…it was…_wow_!"Jessica laughed at his reaction, she did not expect that from him. It made the moment less awkward than it felt for her.

"You act like you've never been kissed before." Jeremy moved his eyes to the side, his cheeks remaining red. Jessica's eyebrows lifted and she put her hand to her mouth. "Are you serious? Not even that she-beast?" He chuckled and closed his eyes, shaking his head.

"Not a one."

"Wow…" She was stunned. As handsome as he was, she was _sure_ he'd been kissed before. Hell, such a passionate kiss, she and Shane never really even kissed like that. "Can I be honest?"

"I would hope so." She smiled and folded her arms over her chest, thinking it would lock her arms in place so she didn't make any movements or gestures towards him.

"Shane and I maybe gave each other a peck on the lips, sometimes taking it up just a bit, but…" His eyes started to widen as Jessica looked towards the ground, she was embarrassed to even say something like this. Jeremy thought this was big news, so he remained silent and listened to what she had to say. "We never shared a passionate kiss, and definitely not one like that. Don't get me wrong, he was a good boyfriend and we were really, really close…"

"It's okay Jessica." He wrapped her arms around her and hugged her as she let her tears land softly on her cheeks. "Like I said, take it slowly. One step at a time."

"Thank you, Jeremy." He smiled at her as she lifted her head to him, god he was so charming.

"Now what do you say we get back? Your cousin wasn't looking too pleased when I left. Looked like she was about ready to kill Candice…" Jessica's eyes widened as she imagined a pissed off Melanie beating Candice to a pulp. Somehow, it just didn't seem right, but who knew what could push her over the edge. "They're probably worried about you as is, I don't know if they'd be worried about me."

"I don't see why they wouldn't, but you're right, we need to head back." She turned around and started to walk off. Jeremy watched her from behind and instantly began walking. Jessica slowly touched her fingers to her lips, they were dazzling. His lips were so warm and filled with emotion, now her lips had been warmed by him. She wanted to experience it again, the sensation she got from kissing him, but not right then and there.

* * *

Hope you liked it.


	38. Freddie and Jonah: Surprising Engagement

Boarded

A/N:

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Chapter 38 (A Surprising Engagement)

A few weeks passed by and graduation had come. Valerie told Jonah why she had gone into the bathroom with the girls on that day of the rodeo, that she had a test to take. He was in shock, but happy, when he learned that he would be a father. His own dad would normally have been angry at him, but the fact that he didn't know how much longer he had to live and was happy to know he'd be able to, hopefully, see his grandchild.

As for Freddie, he was sad to see Kevin go, but was sure to see him again. He wanted to go to Stanford, because they had a really good baseball program. Kevin was going to start attending Stanford in August and had a really good scholarship. Of course, Kevin would be returning to Chestnut for a month so that he could help teach Freddie everything he knew about the campus. He did lose the game, after all. His mother was happy to know what he was doing with his life and was eager to show him just how much she'd learned in the one year he'd been away.

Freddie, Jonah, and Melanie entered into his apartment and instantly there was a different feel to everything. The house was clean, but it was not _overly_ clean, of course he took notice to this. The usual lotions and creams that were often found on the coffee table in front of the couch was missing and replaced with a tablecloth, television remote, and a snack bowl. A warm, clean fragrance sifted to Freddie's nostrils and he breathed it in proudly. "I see mom's taken very seriously not going overboard with things." Jonah nodded as he walked through the house, they were now trying to find Marissa.

"She really has made improvement." Jonah sighed and rubbed the back of his head. "Hey Mrs. Benson, we're all here! Where are you at?" They heard a clattering sound coming from the main bedroom.

"Oh! Hold on!" After a minute, Marissa came hurrying out of the room carrying a book in her hand. Her hair was longer now, a bit feathery and floating neatly on top of her shoulders. Her outfit was very subtle, a blue V-neck sweater and jeans going down to her ankles. She was actually not wearing shoes, a change from always wearing shoes for fear of picking foreign objects from the ground and injuring her feet. "Freddie, you're home!" Freddie smiled as Marissa quickly took him in her arms, squeezing gently and not too hard. She didn't want to end up cutting off circulation or embarrassing him in front of his friend, and girlfriend. She realized that Melanie was here and quickly looked over at her, smiling lightly. Girlfriend. Before, that would set off so many triggers inside of her, fearing that some girl was going to come in and take her little boy from her, but now she was more accepting and willing to let him date. "So, you're Melanie?"

"Yeah, Sam's sister." Melanie smiled politely and waved at Marissa, actually not afraid of the woman freaking out on her. If Marissa hadn't made an effort to better herself, then she'd be worried. Marissa rubbed her chin and slowly dragged her index finger down her cheek while she scanned Melanie up and down. She looked like a very nice girl. If Freddie liked her and she wasn't going to influence him to do bad things, she could support them. "It's a pleasure to meet you."

"Yes, I've heard a lot about you!" Freddie chuckled nervously, wondering if his mom was going to say something to embarrass him. Jonah constantly teased him about how his mother might embarrass him, but he should at least be thankful to have a mother. Just as long as she didn't start offering to show Melanie all the baby pictures of him, he'd be fine. Although he wasn't too sure if Jonah wouldn't do something like that, just to be evil. "So, you and Freddie met at the school?"

"Yes ma'am." Melanie held her hands behind her back and swayed to the side a bit, holding her smile. "I've heard a lot about you as well."

"I hope nothing bad." Melanie shook her head as she and Marissa sat on the couch. Freddie clicked his tongue and watched the two with an unsure expression on his face while Jonah shook his head sorrowfully. He knew this couldn't end well, Freddie's girlfriend and his mother having a conversation together.

"Freddie, my man, I'm sorry but…" Jonah started to laugh and Freddie's eyes rolled to the back of his head. Freddie took a deep breath and sighed. He stiffened when he heard the women laughing. "Okay maybe we should leave the room before you have a nervous breakdown."

"Yeah, let's get out of here bro." The two left the living room and moved into the kitchen where Freddie leaned his hands forward against the kitchen counter. Jonah opened the fridge and grabbed two bottles of root beer. He tossed one to his friend and popped the lid off of his. "Thanks man."

"No prob." Jonah took a drink of his soda and leaned against the refrigerator while Freddie moved over towards him. "You know, my dad's been getting some guidance counseling, he's really coping with everything."

"Oh yeah?" Jonah nodded as Freddie drank some of his soda. Jonah helped his dad search for some group counseling regarding his aneurysm and heart condition, a group of people who knew what to say to make it not so depressing. Though there was still a depressing factor being that everyone involved in that group knew how it was all going to end, but they wanted to prolong their lives and make life, as it was for them now, to be as memorable as possible.

"It's really great for him, and not the first time he's gone to some group thing. There was this one thing he went to two years ago for people who had lost someone close to them, specifically targeted at spouses who'd lost spouses."

"Oh? How'd that work out?"

"I don't know, he stopped going after a year." Jonah knew his dad had dated, and nowadays he had no qualms about it. His father deserved to be happy, especially when in the final years of his life. He needed someone to love, someone who would love him back. "I do know one thing, though." Freddie drank his soda and looked at the living room, trying hard to ignore the fact that Marissa and Melanie were still _laughing_ about random stuff. He really hoped they weren't talking about him. "He got engaged to someone last month…"

"You don't know who it is?"

"Nope, he never even told me who he'd been dating, said he was afraid of how I'd take it and was waiting for the right moment." Jonah's shoulders slumped as he took another drink. Freddie lifted his eyebrows and absently tapped his bottle with his pinky finger.

"How do you feel about him being engaged? You're not upset over him being engaged after your mom…you know?" Jonah pulled the corner of his mouth back and eyed the ground in thought. How did he feel about it all? He didn't really think much about it.

"Dad deserves to be happy, and whether or not I agree with it, I'm not going to stand in his way. Besides, I think having a stepmom would be great."

"I agree. Any idea how long he's been with this woman?" Jonah wasn't too sure, but he had a feeling he'd be seeing more of her now that they were engaged. His dad just wanted to figure out when and how to tell him. Apparently telling his dad it was okay to tell him any time wasn't good enough.

"I think he's been with her a year, maybe a little more than that. I've honestly not met her, but he says that she'll be coming around more often when I learn who she is. She has a kid too, so they're kind of trying to figure out what the best route's going to be."

"Yeah, if she's got a kid, then it might be best to talk to the kids at the same time." Melanie and Marissa laughed real loud and Freddie flinched, his grip tightening on the bottle. Jonah chuckled and motioned for Freddie to follow.

"Come on man, let's get out of here for a while. Let those two chat. Besides, it's never been said that it's bad if your date becomes best friends with your parent."

"Are you best friends with Valerie's dad?"

"Er…not exactly…" Jonah couldn't say he really ever talked to Mr. Williams, considering he never had the time. He did talk to him a few times, said hello and would often strike up conversation, but they didn't _always_ talk. They weren't the closest of friends.

"Exactly!" Freddie looked back to the living room and tried to see inside. Jonah shook his head and grabbed his shirt, pulling him into the hallway.

"Your mom's still got the PS3, right?"

"I think so, it's hooked up in her room."

"So let's go play some black ops or something." Freddie nodded and grinned, he had not played that in a long time. The two hurried into the bedroom and started hooking up the console. The first thing they were going to make sure to check if their old profiles were still there. Jonah pressed the eject button, in case anything else was in there, and a DVD popped out. He didn't recognize it and curiously glanced at Freddie. "Hey any idea what this is?"

"I don't know." He grabbed the disk from Jonah and raised his eyebrows. There was a piece of tape on it that read 'engagement'. Jonah glanced over Freddie's shoulder and shrugged.

"Your mom get engaged?"

"I don't think so. She told me she dated some guy, but I don't remember them ever getting engaged. She would have told me something like that."

"So maybe it's a different type of engagement."

"Maybe. You want to watch?" They knew they probably shouldn't, but they were bored to tears.

"Yeah pop it in." Freddie did so and jumped onto the edge of the bed, clasping his root beer with both hands. Jonah rested his arm on his knee and bounced the bottle on his leg. The home movie started up and immediately it showed Marissa sitting on a park bench underneath the stars and moon. Jonah chuckled and looked up at Freddie. "Hey dude, maybe your mom really did get engaged."

"No, she would have told me…"

"So? My dad would have told me."

"Didn't he?" Jonah shrugged and looked at the screen. Marissa ran her hand through her hair and laughed, her cheeks red.

"Why do you have a camera?" She asked while grinning widely. Jonah moved his bottle to his lips and started drinking the rest of his soda. Freddie pressed his lips together and tapped his foot on the ground.

"Because I want to capture this moment on camera so we'll always remember it. Well, for you..." Freddie's eyes widened and Jonah quickly began coughing on his soda.

"That's my father's voice!"

"I know, dude!"

"What the hell?" The two stared intensely at the screen, their heads reeling with a variety of thoughts and feelings. The camera had been put down and Michael stepped into view, taking Marissa's hands in his. Freddie's jaw fell and he pressed his fingers tightly on the bottle, making sure he didn't drop it because of the shock.

"My mother, and your dad are…" Michael dropped to his knees and Marissa's eyes glazed over. He asked her to marry her, saying that life was short and he'd fallen for her. He knew he might not have long left on the world and he didn't want to be alone and wanted her to be his and to be a mother to Jonah. Marissa screamed her answer and hugged his neck tightly, kissing him. "…Engaged…"

"We're going to be brothers?"

"Well look at it this way, man. We already are brothers in a way." Jonah closed his eyes and nodded, pushing his lips outward a bit.

"True." Hell, they did everything together as it were, they were so close that they were near inseparable. It might take a bit for the shock to wear off, but they were actually okay with this. However, they did want to know why their parents never just came out and said it. Freddie lifted his eyes up when he heard footsteps in the hallway.

"Freddie? Jonah? Where are you guys?"

"Shit, mom's coming!"

"Crap!" Jonah quickly shut off the PS3 and grabbed the Black Ops case just as Marissa opened the door. They looked at her and smiled innocent grins. "Hey Ms. Benson."

"Hey boys, we were wondering where you took off to." She smiled and moved her eyes to the console. When she saw it, her lips fell and she started to worry if they saw the engagement video. She and Michael wanted to tell them in person and were actually thinking of telling them in a couple days when they were all together. "So what are you doing?"

"We were just about to pop this in and play it."

"Oh, well that's good. Let me just…" They watched as she pressed the eject button and took the DVD from the console. "There." She smiled at them and placed it on a cd rack that rested on the bookshelf. She'd just been watching the video prior to their arrival. "Have fun you two. I offered to take Melanie to the mall to get our nails done." Freddie paled and Jonah eyed him with a subtle smirk. "Is that okay with you, Freddie?"

"Y-Yeah I'm fine with that." He cleared his throat as his mother smiled at him and turned to the doorway, stopping to turn back.

"Okay. When I get back, Freddie…I have something I want to talk to you about." He absently nodded his head, thinking back to the engagement video. She probably wanted to tell him she was engaged.

"Okay, you and Melanie have fun then."

"Thank you." Marissa walked out of the room, closing the door behind her. Freddie groaned and placed his hand upon his stomach, he wasn't too sure he could stomach his girlfriend and mother being best friends at the moment. Jonah began snickering, unable to hold it in any longer. Freddie merely glared at him.

"Shut up."

"I'm sorry man, it's just hilarious." Jonah laughed again and Freddie threw one of the pillows on the bed at his friend. Jonah grabbed it and chucked it back at him.

"Just put the game in and let's play." Jonah nodded and did so, they both needed something to focus their thoughts on for the moment. "You realize that maybe I'll let my mother become best friends with your girlfriend." Jonah choked and his eyes widened for a brief moment. The game started up and Jonah grabbed his controller.

"You are so dead now." Freddie grabbed the second controller and smirked at Jonah.

"Good luck."

* * *

See a bit of Freddie and Jonah bonding here, along with the fact that now they'll be more than just 'like brothers' they'll be brothers XD


	39. Freddie and Jonah: Brotherhood

Boarded

A/N:

* * *

Chapter 39 (Freddie and Jonah: Brotherhood)

Jonah and Freddie were looking through the movies on the shelf, having been bored with the game after a couple of hours. Freddie pulled one movie out and stared at it. "The Hangover, nice movie for a stoner." Jonah laughed and shook his head, they had no right to be making stoner jokes since they never smoked a day in their life.

"It's more like a movie for drunken idiots." Freddie snickered and set it to the side as a possible movie to watch. They both enjoyed it well. Although heavily unrealistic, there were still some situations in it that were very plausible and could happen. "Just promise me one thing." Freddie peered at the other movies on the bookshelf and glanced over once more.

"What?"

"When I get married, we don't all get drunk and then you suddenly abandon me on the rooftop of a building on my wedding day." Freddie laughed and looked to his friend with an almost sadistic grin. "I know that look, don't even _think_ about it. For one thing, Valerie would have your head."

"This is true." Freddie raised his eyebrow and pulled another movie off the shelf, wondering why they had this particular one. "Frat Daze." A movie about a group of friends with an intense desire to join a highly glorified fraternity. "Evidently this has been seen by college kids everywhere."

"Well we will be in college soon enough. Now _why_ do you guys have that movie again?" Freddie chuckled and shrugged as he pulled another movie off the shelf. Smirking he tossed it to Jonah for a laugh. "What?" Jonah caught it and raised his eyebrow. "My Best Friend's Wedding…really? You want to watch _this?_"

"No, I just thought you'd get a kick out of it. You don't have any lady best friends that might be in love with you and try to win you back before you're married do you?" Jonah laughed and threw the movie back at Freddie. He really hoped not. He and Valerie just found out about the pregnancy, they wouldn't be getting married for another few months, they were looking at some time in December. A nice winter, Christmas wedding. "We can raise a kid in college, right? I mean it isn't impossible is it?"

"Don't see why it would be." He and Jonah plopped on the couch, deciding that perhaps they didn't need to watch a movie. "Is that really all you're worried about? I can almost assure you that you don't need to worry about that."

"Yeah, there's plenty of stuff on my mind, like the fact that my dad's marrying your mom." He could get used to something like that, he was just taken by surprise. Normally he'd want his dad to tell him who the woman was so that he could measure the woman by her deeds and see if he thought she was right for him. Through deeds, personality, heart, it wouldn't be hard to decide. The fact that it was Freddie's mom made him wonder if he really needed to question it. "Well your mom _does_ seem really relaxed now, not as psycho about everything."

"True, she seems more like a mother and less like a mental patent slash nurse." The two stared off at the door and loosely tapped the couch with their fingers. Jonah's dad called him not that long ago and told him that he and his fiancé were planning to introduce everyone over the weekend, but they were still working out the when, where and what. "So, our parents are being incredibly slow about this aren't they?"

"Yes. Yes they are." They wanted to speed things up, but it wouldn't hurt to have a little fun with this. They thought about stirring up some drama, but then they had to think about Michael's heart, they didn't want him to get overworked with worry. "Maybe we should just try to get them together or something, make them realize we already know."

"It's a thought. They do have some explaining though. I mean if they were dating, they could have at least told us, I don't think there would have been any problems."

"Not at all." Jonah and Freddie had contacted Valerie with the news and asked if she wanted to visit, but she was busy taking care of her mother. Jonah left it at that usually, since he understood Valerie's standpoint on her mother being more important than anyone. To him, if his father needed someone around, he'd be the first one there more often than not. They had a great relationship now, better than they used to have in days that seemed so long ago. "So what do you propose we do?"

"Nothing that can risk your dad's condition, that's for sure." Jonah lifted his eyebrows and pressed his lips together. Yeah, they couldn't do anything mischievous for sure. "I say we just simply pull them together and bring on the questions. They're waiting for the 'perfect moment' but don't realize that they don't have to look for one. You know what I mean?"

"Yeah, I hear you. Just get it done with, basically. Am I right?"

"Pretty much." Freddie drank some of the soda he had, it was probably their third set of bottles. Now the question was how to go through with such a plan, it really shouldn't be difficult at all. "So what happens then, do I start telling people you're my brother?"

"Oh we can have a lot of fun with this, man." Jonah laughed as several thoughts of what they could do with people and this arrangement ran through his mind. He lifted his bottle. "To brotherhood in friendship turning into literal brotherhood!" Freddie laughed and clicked his bottle with Jonah's.

"To brotherhood!"

Marissa and Melanie parked in a parking lot at the park, they received an urgent text from Freddie telling them to meet him there. They had no clue what was going on and hoped that it wasn't an emergency. Melanie covered all the shopping bags in the backseat with a blanket so nobody would see them and try to take them. "I hope Freddie's okay." Marissa agreed and stepped out of the car with Melanie, locking the doors and stretching her back.

"Yeah, I wonder what's so important…" He didn't leave any directions as to _where_ to meet him, just that he wanted her to meet him here. Marissa recognized this park as where Michael told her he and Jonah always collected pinecones at, as well as the same park that he proposed to her, and of course he didn't propose to her on the same trail he collected pinecones with his son on. Those were two different, very special and significant routes. "Well, let's try to find him then. Do you think he's here with Jonah?"

"Most likely, I think those two plan on doing everything together this summer." Melanie laughed as she and Marissa entered the park. Marissa tapped her chin and looked out at the parking lot. It was very possible, especially once she and Michael talked to the boys. "So, does Freddie know about you being engaged yet?"

"Huh?" Marissa blushed and Melanie pointed to her hand, a girl _always_ noticed a ring. Marissa lifted her hand up and smiled, her face brightening as she rubbed the single diamond. "Not yet, but Michael and I plan on telling him this weekend, we just haven't figured out how yet."

"Michael? That's his name?" Melanie knew she'd heard the name before, but where? She hummed as she looked to a tree and watched a squirrel running along the branch. She smiled at the sight and watched it look around for a minute before eyeing her. Thinking, she tore her gaze away and looked to Marissa. "Isn't that the name of Jonah's dad?" Marissa's cheeks grew redder and Melanie let out a wide gasp, her lips growing into a grin. "Oh my gosh, you and Jonah's dad? That's amazing! I'm so happy for you two!"

"We're really in love, he makes me happy and I make him happy."

"And you haven't told the guys yet?"

"We're not quite sure how they'd take it."

"They'd be _thrilled!_ Believe me! Those two are like brothers as it is." Marissa laughed, her heart filling with bliss and wonder. She was confident the boys could handle the news, but there were some matters she wasn't sure about.

"You think they would be worried about us replacing…you know…their other parent?" Melanie blinked and her face fell a bit. Honestly, it had been years since the passing of the other parent and really something like that wasn't what seventeen and eighteen year olds worried about.

"I doubt it, they're not kids, so they might be able to handle it maturely."

"Yeah…yeah, you're right." The women walked ahead a bit until Melanie spotted Jessica reading at a bench. She smiled at her cousin and looked around the scenery. She was surrounded by trees in full bloom and the wind was blowing her hair wonderfully over her shoulders. Something was off about her surroundings though. Melanie squinted her eyes and stared at a tree in the distance, somebody was hiding behind it, watching her. It wasn't Jeremy, that was for sure, it looked more like a stalker.

"You go on, I need to go talk to Jessica for a minute." She wasn't sure if she should bring up the person watching her, but she knew that if she sat down to talk to her, it would be safer. Marissa nodded as Melanie walked off and watched as Jessica lifted her head from the book and greeted her cousin as Melanie sat down. Melanie shifted her eyes towards the awkward man behind the tree and he ducked out of sight, she couldn't get a good enough look at him to describe him. If Jeremy knew someone was watching Jessica, it probably wouldn't end well. Marissa went on to look for Freddie or possibly Jonah, she wasn't sure where he'd be, so she was going to check everywhere she could think of.

At the parking lot, Michael drove into a parking spot and quickly left his car, he'd received a text message from Jonah. It consisted of one word, which was almost their code word for whenever they wanted to talk or hang out at the park, the word was: Pinecone. He went to the one place he was sure to find Jonah, on the pinecone trail.

* * *

So they have a plan going on, you'll see it next chapter and I'm sure you'll enjoy it. Three chapters focusing on Jonah and Freddie and their friendship, a nice break and step back from all the drama going on with everyone else XD.


	40. Freddie and Jonah: Parent Trap

Boarded

A/N:

* * *

Chapter 40 (Freddie and Jonah: Parent Trap)

Knowing where the parents might end up checking, and having a specific plan of action in mind, Freddie and Jonah stationed themselves at different ends of the park. Freddie waited on the pinecone trail while Jonah waited where they were sure Marissa would check first, the place where he and Freddie first met as kids, the place that he always talked about, the other side of the lake. Marissa would know that place the best, due to memory. Freddie kicked a rock off the trail and trailed his eyes to a pinecone. He lifted it from the ground and stared at it for a few seconds. He knew the pinecones was Jonah's thing with his father, so he wouldn't want to start collecting them with Michael, for fear of stepping on anyone's toes. He could see the charm in it, though. Given the fact that it was such a peaceful thing and gave plenty of time to converse and enjoy the nature around them. "Never had a dad before…" He lifted his eyes to the sky and frowned, he lost his father some time before he could really ever remember him. "It must be nice."

"What must be nice?" Freddie nearly jumped out of his skin and dropped the pinecone while suddenly turning around, Michael was standing next to him, smiling at him. "Careful there, you don't want to ruin a perfectly good pinecone."

"Yeah, no worries Mr. Brown." He grinned to hide his nervousness about the moment, though he gave it away when he rubbed the back of his head. He wasn't extremely sure of the plan, but knew it had to work. He and Jonah were going to meet somewhere in the middle, but had to be sure the parents stayed with them for a while. "Hey, you want to walk with me for a bit?" Michael looked at his cell and pressed his lips together, unsure of his answer.

"Well, I'm trying to find Jonah, he sent me a text." What would it hurt? Maybe five minutes. Besides, he did want to get to know Freddie a little more.

"He'll be okay, I know where he's at anyway."

"Oh you do, do you?" He raised an eyebrow as Freddie grinned. Something was up, now what was it? "So where is he?" Freddie motioned for him to follow and began walking down the trail, shoving his hands into his pockets.

"Just follow me, okay?" Michael shrugged and walked behind him, breathing slowly. He was worried about Jonah and needed to remain calm, any stress would not be good for him. Freddie looked at him and smiled lightly. "Just don't worry, okay? It's fine. Breathe normally, got that?" Michael nodded his head as Freddie checked a map on his cell phone. He was mapping the entire route so he knew when to get to Jonah and at the best possible time. "Can I ask you something?"

"Yeah, go right ahead."

"Do you ever think about relationships?" Michael raised his eyebrow as Freddie looked off into the sky. "I mean really think about them. I know it's a tender subject, but still…Jonah and I talk about it all the time, we think you deserve to be happy."

Michael hummed as he ran his hand across a nearby tree. Where was Freddie going with this? Was there something they knew that they weren't telling? The fact that they would think he deserves to be happy was heartwarming and made him feel joyful. "I do think about dating. I sometimes think Denise would be upset, but then there's part of me that thinks she would want me to be happy, I don't know…" Freddie rubbed his chin lightly and crossed his arms.

"Maybe it's not about just being happy, maybe it's about being loved by somebody. Maybe it's about moving on. My girlfriend's cousin's going through some of the same stuff, but granted, it's not as serious as what you've dealt with and are dealing with right now. I just want you to know, I think Jonah, no, I _know_ Jonah would support whatever you do." Michael beamed with excitement as Freddie looked off to the side. Freddie intended to have a pretty good conversation with Michael until he met Jonah, and then they would let it be known that they knew.

Jonah waited for Marissa and looked out at the shimmering lake, it was so pleasant and had a very cool breeze around it, which was great for such a warm day. Thoughts of his mother swirled around his mind as he thought about his dad getting married. It didn't bother him so much because he knew Marissa wasn't going to try and replace his mother. He knew his father needed this, it was something he _deserved_ to have.

He turned around, his hands smoothly tucking into the soft cloth of his jeans. He saw Marissa walking towards him, the expression on her face was that of great confusion. "Jonah? Where is Freddie?" Jonah smile politely and folded his arms over.

"Don't worry, I know where he's at. Come on, let's walk a little if you don't mind." Marissa wasn't panicking, she knew she didn't need to be insanely worried, especially if Freddie's best friend was telling her he was fine. Before, she would probably be freaking out and tearing the entire park apart, piece by piece, just to find him. "Freddie's coming for us and we can go to him, he's just basically enjoying the scenery."

"Okay." Marissa smiled at him and started to walk with him, though slowly to take in the full environment around them. Jonah swayed his head to the side and rubbed the back of his neck. He wasn't sure what to ask, or even where to begin. It was Marissa who started the conversation. "So Jonah, what was your mom like, if you don't mind me asking?" Jonah lifted his eyes up and tugged the corner of his lips upwards.

"She was a great woman, really sweet and loving. She cared about everyone and everything." Marissa was happy to hear this, but still worried that he may resent her for wanting to marry his father. She never wanted to besmirch his mother's legacy, the woman's memory, or anything like that. She truly loved Michael and his son, she would do anything for them, no matter what, but she would _never_ take away from Denise's memory. "You know, my dad's always been worried about dating again, but I always tell him, it's okay to date. Mom would want him to move on, to have someone to love who loved him back in his final years…"

"Really, you think that?"

"Yeah, I tell him all the time. Though, he's always been stubborn about it." Jonah laughed and picked up a small pebble from the ground. He quickly chucked it to the side and closed his eyes. "I loved my mom dearly, I will always remember her. Nothing will ever come between us, you know me…and her memory. She will always be number one, so if Dad ever meets anyone, whoever he decides to spend his final days with, will have to be number two."

Marissa smiled, her eyes becoming a bit misty. She could settle for that, she would be just happy if he liked her. "It's good to know that's what you would think."

"Yeah, and she needs to know that I need to accept her too." Marissa agreed and looked at a broken tree branch on the trail. It played no significance, other than a piece of the enormous scenery that surrounded them. "I have to like her, I have to believe she's right for my father. She has to be honest, she has to be caring, and she can't be crazy because of Dad's conditions."

"I agree. This woman would have to know to be calm around him, to love him and to love you." Jonah smiled at her and watched her through the corner of her eyes. She seemed to have a bit of a spring to her step. "You need to know that she loves both of you and would never do a thing to hurt either one of you. You need to know that she wants to be a part of both your lives and will always be there for you, no matter what. Even though this woman knows she won't replace your mother, she still wants to be a mom for you."

"Right, and I would want her to know that I would love to have her a part of my family." Marissa's heart was jumping, she had a feeling that Jonah knew a bit more than he was really letting on. If so, was this his way of saying that he accepted her? How could she be so sure? She wanted to ask, but at the same time, she didn't. She and Michael had a plan.

"How would you test her?"

"I don't know, I would just have to see her background I suppose. I'd have to know what she's like, who she is, and all that stuff."

"Right, I understand that. You want somebody who, despite your father's illness, will overlook that factor and care enough to give all her love to you two. Someone who would never, ever, do anything to hurt either one of you…"

"Pretty much, the person _has_ to love him. I know there are sometimes people in this world who, when with someone that is dying, will already start looking for a replacement to fill the void and forget the rest of the family even. I have to know that the woman my father is with will _not_ do that." Jonah's face became very serious as he turned his eyes to Marissa. He did know she wasn't the type to do that, he knew she would consider herself a part of the family forever, no matter what happened. Marissa nodded her head as they continued to walk, getting closer to the intersecting point. "That is why the fact that my father is engaged to somebody and hadn't told me who he was dating was very disturbing to me, because I couldn't investigate the woman."

"Maybe he was afraid you would think she was trying to replace Denise."

Jonah shrugged his shoulders absently and stopped walking, knowing Freddie was just around the corner. "Maybe. However, he doesn't need to worry about that."

After a few more minutes of conversation, the men texted each other to let them know it was now okay to meet up in the center. As they rounded the corner, the parents were surprised to see each other. Jonah and Freddie smirked as they stepped next to each other. Michael and Marissa looked into each other's eyes, then looked over at Jonah and Freddie. "You two planned this?"

"Yeah, yeah we did."

"Impressive." Michael chuckled softly, pride filling up inside him. Marissa was pleasantly surprised and figured they must have known somehow. "So, I'm guessing this was more than just random conversation." Freddie looked from his mother to Jonah, then stepped forward.

"Yeah we found out about you two, and we have to say…why didn't you guys just come out and tell us you were dating? We wouldn't have taken it badly at all, and we don't take it badly now." Jonah stepped next to Freddie and placed his arm over his friend's shoulders, pointing to him with his other hand.

"Hey, this is my best friend. We're practically brothers. So, if you were worried about us feeling awkward about it, then there is no reason for that."

"If you're worried about us fearing one of you replacing the other parent, don't worry about that. Hell, I never knew my father, so having a stepdad, which I never have had, is a great feeling for me!"

"Dad, mom would have wanted you to move on. I wanted you to move on. In your final years, you _need_ someone to love, someone to love you back, and I think Marissa is just the candidate for that person."

Marissa's cheeks went red as Michael took her hand and smiled. Both were very happy with what they were hearing. They weren't sure how the two found out, but it didn't matter. All that really mattered was the two accepted them and were more than willing to join families.

"Now the only question is, when is the wedding? I call dibs on the best man!" Freddie's jaw fell and he looked to Jonah in playful protest.

"You can't call dibs, you're the son!"

"That gives me every right to call dibs." Jonah smirked and narrowed his eyes, he was ready to take Freddie on.

"But that's like, automatic cheating! Dibs by association, and what if I wanted to be the best man?"

"I can play you for it, but I doubt you'd win. First one back to the lake is the best man."

"You're on!" Michael and Marissa lifted their eyebrows up as the boys ran off. Freddie and Jonah knew when it all came down to it, it was up to the parents to decide how their wedding went, they just wanted to have a little fun. Michael looked at her with a wide smile.

"Funny isn't it? They find out and get to us before we can get to them."

"I always thought it'd be a matter of time." Marissa wiped her eyes and closed her lids over them. "I just couldn't be happier to know that Jonah accepts me, and Freddie accepted you."

"Didn't I tell you they would?"

"Think he'll let me help out with his wedding?"

"Now _that_ would be up to Valerie…and her mother's already trying to do everything." Marissa laughed as she wiped her eyes again, she really hated being an emotional type.

* * *

Yes I'm aware the title of the chapter is the same as a movie, there's a pretty damn good reason for that XD. It's Jonah and Freddie bringing their mom and dad together, haha. Hope you enjoyed this story. The next chapter will be returning to the drama, and it will be entitled "Hidden Eyes".


	41. Hidden Eyes

Boarded

A/N: I upload early because I have an important announcement: Towards the very end of this story, after all the drama and the final major climax there will come a minor arc that will bring heavy focus on Freddie and his mother's past. The reason for this is due to yet another CSI episode I have seen that relates to an iCarly actor/actress. Moving on. Drama starts now.

* * *

Chapter 41 (Hidden Eyes)

Melanie got Jessica to get up from the bench and walk with her, they were discussing several topics, but Jeremy seemed to be the main one. Since the graduation, Jessica had not seen Jeremy, even though she knew he moved in with his family. She thought it was better for him to spend time with them than to worry about her, after all, they weren't in any sort of relationship greater than that of friends. Although she would have liked that very much, she knew that he had a lot on his plate. Melanie was probably the only person that actually knew Jessica liked Jeremy.

"So will you try to find him or keep hiding?" Melanie whistled a random tune as she walked over a leaf covered path, listening as the leaves crumbled under her feet. A recent strong wind had blown them all off the night before. "Now before you say you're not 'hiding' from him and give me a lame excuse like you're giving him time to be with his family, I want to know your reasoning. Are you still hanging onto Shane's memory? Are you afraid of him being violent?"

Jessica rolled her eyes and pushed her book into her purse, she had no qualms whatsoever about him. "No to both." She'd moved on from Shane by now, she'd gone through her stages of grief and accepted that he was gone. She wasn't going to let herself be depressed and knew that he would want her to move on. She also knew Jeremy would never strike her again, he'd actually gotten a lot of help from the fact that his stepfather was a guidance counselor. So he didn't really have a lot of anger problems anymore, either. "I really am just giving him time to be with his family. I'm also thinking about what happened back at the school, that time I visited…" Melanie pursed her lips together and shook her head, she really hoped Jessica didn't still feel guilty for attacking Candice. She was about to say something, but Jessica continued on with her thought. "It isn't even Candice that I'm worried about."

"It's not? Now I'm confused…" Melanie could have sworn it would be Candice, that was really the only thing that happened. Then it hit her, when Jeremy had gone after Jessica, what happened? She never talked about it, even when asked, Jessica remained silent. Although in her eyes, there was a certain gleam, as though remembering something pleasant, even her cheeks would have a somewhat rosy color to them. "Jessica. What did you and Jeremy _do_ exactly? If you don't tell me, then I'm going to tell Sam you're falling for Jeremy." Jessica gasped and covered Melanie's mouth, her eyes wide. Melanie smirked and tilted her head to the side, she could feel herself winning this one.

"You wouldn't _dare_! I know you wouldn't, you're too nice to do something so heinously evil!" Melanie muffled something and Jessica removed her hand.

"Try me." Jessica hummed and rubbed her chin, Melanie _was_ getting stronger lately and becoming more like her sister, but in a good way. She wasn't becoming aggressive, just more independent and strong-minded. Freddie was definitely having a good effect on her. So now when she threatened something like this, it was usually best to take her seriously. She probably would tell Sam, just to be deviant. "I promise if you tell me what happened, I won't tell anyone else."

"You _promise_?"

"Cross my heart. I'll even pinky swear." Jessica moaned and shifted her eyes to the side. She wasn't even sure she wanted to mention it out in the open. She hadn't been feeling safe lately, a bit uncomfortable. Something like this could really get out there. She fidgeted for a second and brushed her bangs from her eyes. Melanie could see she was feeling uncomfortable and was a bit worried she was causing the uneasiness. "I'm sorry, you don't have to tell me if you don't want to."

"It's not that, Mel. It's just…" Jessica felt her heartbeat begin to rise when she heard the sound of rustling leaves. She grabbed Melanie by the wrist and started pulling her away, causing the girl to shout out in surprise. They made it to the park restroom and Jessica pushed Melanie inside. Peering around, she quickly hurried inside and ran to a stall where she lowered her voice to a whisper. "I think I have a stalker, Mel." Melanie frowned and looked at the bathroom door, so that was why Jessica got all frantic just now. "I'm scared. Ever since I moved here and started going to that school, I've felt like somebody was following me. I just don't feel safe."

"I see…" She didn't know if she should tell Jessica about the man she saw earlier, but hearing this, she was pretty sure she should. She didn't want to scare her, though. Her mind had been spinning since she saw that man. Over time, she thought he went away, but she'd seen him again, catching him out of the corner of her eye. No, she already knew she had a stalker and was afraid someone was stalking her right now anyway, the best thing to do would not be to confirm her fears, but to get her away. If there was one thing Melanie knew, it was how to deflect a stalker. She'd done a research paper on stalkers in the past. "Okay come with me, then."

"Where are we going?"

"I have a thought." It was important to scare the stalker away, shake him from Jessica's tail. She'd done the first step, telling someone she trusted about him. That was always important. "If this stalker becomes worse, you_ need_ to tell the police." Jessica moaned with uncertainty. She knew who it was and felt bad for him, in a way, and didn't want to call the police on him. "Most stalkers only get worse in time, and believe me, the police would much rather do the paperwork on a possible stalker than a murder victim."

"You think it can get that bad?" She started to sweat, imagining herself lying sprawled out on the ground, dead eyes gazing up into the sky. Cringing, she shook her head and swallowed. She'd never been through something like this. Her heart was racing as she envisioned the worst hell of her life. Fear of a stalker, it was not uncommon. She knew that stalking could lead to things like rape and murder, and she'd never feared someone doing that to her, not until now.

"It can get really bad. Always keep yourself protected and never travel alone. You see, I've had to research this stuff. One place we should walk by, the police station, usually it sends a stalker running for a while." Jessica nodded and slowly closed her eyes, rubbing her arms gently with her hands. "Always collect whatever you can as evidence and do whatever you can to hide any distinctive features." Melanie started moving her fingers outward, as though counting off the things that were necessary to remember. "Avoid places they usually hang out at, figure out ways to spot them from the distance, above all _never_ talk to them on your own and _never_ look them in the eye!"

"Why exactly?"

"Usually they're afraid to talk to you or probably going to try and hurt you. Just have someone you trust talk to them, if it comes down to that, or have a police officer talk to them, usually scares them away or lets them know you're not afraid of them. Take defense classes if you want, they never hurt. If they come up to you, ignore them and go to the nearest place, with people, and call for help. If they come up to you again, warn that you've called for help, do anything at all as well to get attention, such as screaming for help. Restraining orders help."

"Can we just please go?" She really didn't want a lecture, but it felt good to know these things. Melanie smiled politely and took her hand, calmly leading her out of the restroom. "Where will we go?"

"Oh I was thinking perhaps we visit your little German Shepherd/Doberman mix." Jessica raised her eyebrow in curiosity, she did not _have _a German Shepherd, or a Doberman, she didn't have a dog at all. So, what the hell was Melanie talking about? Guard dog, it would be nice to have a guard dog, one that could easily intimidate and scare away the stalker. Wait a minute. Her eyes widened and her heart pulsated. She couldn't mean a _person_, could she?

"N-No!"

"What?" It was true that if she told Jeremy, she would feel safe with him. However, if Jeremy knew, he would probably wind up hunting the guy down and beating the shit out of him. Which, would be nice, but it might not solve anything. Then again, it could scare the stalker away from her. Melanie could see the worry in her eyes and let out a gentle sigh. "You don't _have_ to tell him, just be with him. If the guys sees him, he'll probably be intimidated and scared away."

"Well…he does know _of_ Jeremy."

"He does?" Jessica didn't want to admit that this guy has unearthed some deeply personal stuff. The two stopped walking and Melanie turned to face her, narrowing her eyes a bit. "Jessica, what has this man done? What has he found out about you?"

"…"

"Jessica." Her voice was stern, she was _not_ going to let her cousin become the victim of a stalker. No, if this man was getting too personal, she would have to break out the big guns. She held out her hand and Jessica stared at it with unease. "Give me your phone."

"Why?"

"Give me your phone."

"But…"

"Not asking again." Melanie glanced to the side, she swore she could hear rustling nearby. He was watching. Maybe if he knew someone else knew about him, it'd scare him. Jessica reluctantly handed Melanie the phone and the girl pressed down the number 2 on speed dial. Jessica had confided that Jeremy was number 2 after her mother, who was number 1.

"Who are you calling?"

"You'll see…" Jeremy answered the phone and his voice came over in a slight yawn. It was the middle of the day and he'd been napping for some time. "Hey Jeremy, it's Mel." Jessica gasped and her eyes widened considerably, she hadn't expected that. It was too late now. "Yeah, sorry to wake you up, but Jessica needs you to come down to the park right _now_." Melanie tapped her fingers on her leg and sidestepped as Jessica tried to grab the phone. "I know, yes that's why I have her phone, she was a little afraid to see you or talk to you." Melanie eyed the trees and growled, feeling sharp eyes upon her. "No it's not you, it's other matters that she is a little nervous to tell anybody about." Jeremy's house wasn't far from the park, it wouldn't take him five minutes to get there, assuming he was dressed and everything. "Yes, we're near the park restrooms. Meet us there."

* * *

So we learn a bit more about the stalker. Prepare for some Jessica/Jeremy action next chapter XD


	42. Guard Dog

Boarded

A/N:

* * *

Chapter 42 (Guard Dog)

Jessica whined as Melanie hung up the phone and handed it back to Jessica, who pushed it into her purse. "Melanie, _why_ did you call Jeremy?"

"Because whether you're willing to accept it or not, you need him right now. I can see it in your eyes. You always tell me about feeling safe with him…"

"But I can handle this."

"Right, and how long has this been going on for?" Jessica bit her lower lip and shifted her eyes to the side. She traced a tree trunk with her gaze and slowly exhaled.

"A few months, since I moved here…"

"Okay, so you're dealing with it?"

"Shush, you…" Melanie folded her arms over and smirked triumphantly. She didn't want to say anything to offend Jessica, but she couldn't help but to feel a little since of pride in being able to read people so well. She placed her hand upon Jessica's shoulders and looked into her eyes.

"I want you to tell me about this guy." Jessica crossed her arms and looked to Melanie, pouting her lip out.

"He's just this guy I helped out during class on like my first or second day of school. He's a bit of a geek, always being picked on and whatnot. He thinks I'm some sort of goddess because I stopped some guy from picking on him. All I did was tell the guy to leave him alone!"

"And now this kid's not left you alone…" Jessica's tone fell flat as her eyes narrowed. The two were sure to remain quiet, so not much was being let out.

"You know how many black roses I get in my locker? And he's even looked me up on computer sites and everything! I didn't know you could find stuff out about me!" She was near freaking out now, starting to panic. He knew too much about her now, having gotten information mostly from computer records and people associated with her. "He's even found stuff out about my _family_. He knows where you go to school and who your boyfriend is!" Melanie paled and her arms drooped to the sides. This was not good, he really _was_ getting too involved, and it was scary.

"You've not told anybody about this yet? That's bad, it's only going to get worse! Can you imagine how worse it can get?" She could, and she really didn't want to. All she wanted to do was feel safe and hope it went away on its own.

"I thought for sure he'd be over it by now, but it really has grown a bit." Jessica could feel his cold eyes upon her, he was watching from somewhere. She was beginning to sweat, her body shaking horribly. She turned around and shouted out. "Lenny! Go away! I want nothing to do with you!"

"Shh, Jessica it's okay." Melanie hugged Jessica from behind and looked up with her eyes. That's when she saw him. Lenny. He looked almost like a toothpick, he was so skinny. He had slanted eyes, appearing Asian, despite not being of that ethnicity. He did have a dark tan. His light red hair spiked up about an inch and a half while one strand of hair fell front of his eyes.. He definitely didn't have muscles, not like Jeremy did. Perhaps when he saw Jeremy in person, he'd go running. There was a frightening demeanor about him, a dangerous aura emanating from him. Jessica _needed_ to be protected.

Lenny noticed her looking at him and quickly hid behind the tree. She narrowed her eyes and suppressed a soft growl. He hadn't run, he was still there, watching. Who knew what thoughts ran through his sick, disturbed little mind? Leaves rustled and Melanie quickly jumped up, turning around in time to see Jeremy wave. Jessica looked up and her eyes immediately brightened, losing their dull and frightened appearance. "Jeremy!"

"Hey, I'm here, what's up?" Jeremy was wearing a black, short sleeved t-shirt with a skull and wings insignia on it. He also wore slightly baggy jeans. The shirt really accentuated his chest and well toned muscles, well enough to make Jessica do a double take and prevent herself from drooling all over him. True, he did not have the body of a bodybuilder, his muscles did not bulge out like he worked out every day of the week or anything, but it was still clear that his arms were big, his legs were big, and he was strong. "So…" He lifted his hand up and counted off with his finger. "One, who's this 'Lenny' I just heard you shout about and two, why do you look so frightened?" Jessica cursed mentally, she hadn't meant for him to hear what she shouted. "Haven't seen you since Chestnut, are you doing okay?"

"Yes, I'm fine." She walked towards him and accidently tripped on a rock. Her mind reeled as she fell forward into her arms. _"Damn it! I'm not a klutz!"_

"Whoa there, you should be more careful!" He caught her and smiled as she stared at where her hands landed on his chest. So firm, she'd never really felt that before. Had he been working out? No, he's always had muscles, but damn if she really ever noticed them this pronounced before. The blood rushed to her skin and cheeks as her body began to heat up. He had his hands on her back and held his smile as she looked up into his eyes. "So, you okay?"

"Y-yeah, I'm fine." She'd actually forgotten about her stalker the moment she saw him. Was he that impacting on her? She couldn't believe he had such an impact on her. Melanie folded her arms over and smiled at the sight, she wondered if his appearance scared Lenny off. "You…you got here fast…"

"Decided to jog here…" She definitely took notice of that. It was hard to mistake all that sweat on his body, that wondrous, wondrous sweat. His aroma toyed with her nostrils, taunting her. Tormenting her. "So, Melanie said you needed me? What's going on, Jess?"

"Nothing really, it's just…" She moaned as he tightened his embrace on her. He was so protective, so caring, and oh so right for her. She just couldn't get enough. Lenny was slightly ruffled, she didn't know why, but she could feel it. Jeremy just _looked_ intimidating to anyone. Who in their right mind would want a scuffle with him? If Lenny wasn't terrified, then he'd better stay away from her or she'd send her watch dog after him, and then he really would be terrified. Hell if Jeremy didn't _look_ like he had super human strength, just wait until Lenny _felt_ his strength. Perhaps she was taking too much out of context, but she really didn't care. "How have you been, Jeremy? Have you been getting along well with your family?"

"Yeah, they're the greatest! Dad's awesome, and very understanding too. We talk about a lot of things, he's even helped me to start really moving on with my life."

"So you think you're ready for this world, do you?" Jeremy gazed into her eyes with confidence, so much confidence that it impressed her. It impressed her so much that it was starting to turn her on.

"I know I am, and I know what I want too. Life is going pretty good so far."

"Ooh, good to hear." She let her eyes drift down as she bit her lip and started to move her arms up to his shoulders. "Are there any lucky women in your life yet?"

"Lucky women?" He tilted his head and Melanie rolled her eyes. This was getting to be a bit mushy for even her. If Jessica just melted like this every time Jeremy was around, then damn, why weren't they dating yet? "No, I can't say that there are." He lifted his finger and tapped his chin while Jessica looked like she was about ready to pout. "Well, maybe just one…" He locked his eyes with her and the heated tension seemed to increase between them. "But I haven't really told her anything about it yet, kind of nervous you see…"

"Nervous about what, exactly?"

"Well you see, I'm a changed man, nothing at all like the violent and dangerous man I used to be. Usually only get violent against people who threaten those I care about…" That was normal, there was no shame in something like that. She knew that if he met Lenny and knew about him, he probably _would_ be violent. Hell, even Freddie or Gibby would be violent against someone like Lenny. "However, I'm afraid my past may scare her away."

"Oh? Well if she knows about your past and doesn't leave you, then I don't think it would scare her away." Melanie slapped her forehead and shook her head, all of a sudden feeling a lot like a third wheel in this relationship. There were so many pheromones being sent off that even she could feel them.

_"My god, I'm surprised they haven't started making out yet!"_ She placed her hands upon her hips and rolled her head to the side, she hated to kill the moment, but Lenny was still watching. She could feel his eyes on them. It was not safe to be acting like this. What could he do to Jeremy, though? Was he really dangerous? Who knew, but if he had a weapon like a gun, he could probably kill Jeremy if he felt the man was a threat to his 'relationship' with Jessica. It was not unheard of for stalkers to do this. "Hey you two!" Jeremy and Jessica suddenly split apart, as if just being pulled back into reality. They didn't want to be apart. Jessica's eyes begged him to take her in his arms again, to the place she felt secure. "I hate to ruin the moment, but we have a problem here."

"Melanie…" Jessica mouthed her disapproval of Melanie possibly telling Jeremy about Lenny as she knew Melanie would likely bring it up. Jeremy looked off into the distance and slowly exhaled, his chest rising and falling with his breath.

"Jessica, this is important."

"Not _now._" Jeremy rubbed the back of his head and sighed, wondering if it had anything to do with this Lenny person. He didn't really have a whole lot of time, either, because dinner was going to be pretty soon.

"Hey, you two…" The girls looked at him as he rubbed the back of his neck, he hated to abandon them. "I do have to get back home in time for dinner, which is in like…fifteen minutes. Maybe you want to join me?" The girls looked at each other and shrugged. It wouldn't hurt anything, but they wanted to get to their own homes.

"No it's okay, you go on ahead. We need to get to our homes ourselves."

"Okay, well you give me a call if you need anything. Okay? Would you like me to walk you home? It isn't too far out of my way."

"No, but thanks for your offer." Jeremy smiled and nodded his head, he was glad to be of help. He waved the girls off and watched them leave, then proceeded to walk away himself, pushing his hands into his pockets. The girls no longer felt afraid, nor did they feel Lenny's watchful eyes upon them, perhaps Jeremy really _had_ scared Lenny away.

Jeremy kicked a rock off the path and left the area. His eyes narrowed as he peered back, feeling someone watching him. Humming softly, he ducked into an alleyway and pressed his back against the wall. He watched the ground as a shadow started to approach and turn the corner. He stuck his leg out in an instant and an oncoming person tripped over him. "Aha!" The person screamed as he started to fall towards the ground. Jeremy grabbed the person's shirt and held him, it was Lenny, who was now mere inches away from the pavement.

"Let me go."

"Sure, kid, just after you tell me one thing." Jeremy pulled upwards and Lenny screamed as he watched the pavement fly away from him. Suddenly the image of a brick wall came into view and he found himself being roughly pressed against it, his hands gripped firmly behind him. "Why were you spying on Jessica just now? I'm not stupid, I did see you. Are you this 'Lenny' kid?"

"Yeah…"

"I presume Melanie called me about you. Have you been following Jessica around?"

"Maybe…"

"Wrong answer." Jeremy flipped Lenny around and shoved his back against the wall, Lenny's hands scraped hard against the bricks. He whimpered as he looked into Jeremy's furious eyes. "I want a yes or no answer. Have you been following Jessica Trent around?"

"She's mine…I don't like you being around her trying to take her…"

"Heh…" Jeremy closed his eyes, feeling anger seeping through his veins. He clenched his fist and punched Lenny hard in the face. His eyes traveled down to Lenny's pocket and he reached in, pulling out a pocketknife. He held it in front of Lenny's face and glared at him, causing the man to sweat. "Little kids don't need to be playing with these. This is not a toy, Lenny. What were you thinking of, stabbing me with it while I wasn't looking? You think I don't pay attention to my surroundings?" He quickly pocketed the knife himself, making sure to leave Lenny weaponless.

"I know about you! I know all about you!" Jeremy's face darkened and he quickly tossed Lenny to the ground, smashing his foot onto his back. Lenny screamed out as Jeremy narrowed his eyes.

"You've been looking into Jessica's life, haven't you? What do you know?"

"I'm not telling you." Jeremy rolled his eyes and kicked him in the side, flipping him over. Lenny cried out painfully as Jeremy grabbed his shirt and pulled him up, slamming him against the wall and glaring into his eyes.

"I am not a violent man, but I can tell you this. I do _not_ appreciate people like you stalking Jessica. The tone I heard in her voice, the look on her face, that was terror that I've, oddly, _not_ seen on her face before. Even with all the shit I put her through, I've never seen her so afraid like that."

"…"

"And for Melanie to call me up on her phone, something obviously was up. If you lurk around her again, if I so much as see your face around her or hear that she's become more afraid of you, I'm going to kick your ass and break your bones like a sack of twigs. Do you understand me?" Lenny whimpered and shook his head, clearing his throat.

"I'm not afraid of you. You stay away from my woman."

"Oh? Your woman? Is that so? Last time I checked, she doesn't like to be objectified." Jeremy shook him violently and shouted at him. "I said, do you understand me? You will leave her alone!"

"Okay, okay, I'll do it! Just don't hurt me!" Jeremy growled and threw Lenny to the ground, then turned to walk away. He didn't know if he scared him enough, or if Lenny would take his threat seriously, but he did know one thing for certain. If he threatened Jessica again, if she felt threatened by him, he _would_ find him and he _would_ beat the shit out of him.

* * *

Lenny's going to learn that he's dipped into the wrong family. Jeremy just kicked his ass a bit, but that's the _easiest_ beating Lenny's going to receive.


	43. A True Sadist

Boarded

A/N: Now you see the real villain of this story. See "Pre-Jeremy" was nothing, in fact this will make everyone forget about what Jeremy did in the past.

* * *

Chapter 43 (A True Sadist)

Tyler sighed as he walked down the streets where the prison was located, he had not been fully convicted for anything, because he had escaped. It was Hector who was convicted, so now he had to break the guy out of prison. It was true, he was a worse threat than Jeremy had ever been to anybody. "Soon as we get out of here, we'll have to pay our children a little visit." He pocketed his hands and stopped in front of the prison. How was he going to do this? They _were_ looking for him too.

It was well into the night, one of the best times to escape from prison. This place wasn't that heavily guarded, he'd checked. Hell, it was a crappy place anyway. "He's the fucking _Texan Thunder_, he ought to be released anyway." He sighed and covered his face with a black ski mask, then placed a fedora upon his head. In his hand was a tommy gun, and in his pocket was a pistol with a silencer. "Here goes nothing. Guess my bodyguard training pays off here."

Tyler crouched behind a wall, out of sight of the front camera, he'd mapped out every single camera the place had. It took him a long time, but everything about the place he memorized. He watched the cameras scanning the area and quickly moved to the back of the prison. In the back, there were no cameras, just a lone guard tower. He crouched next to a concrete fence and the wall of the prison, slung off the bag he was carrying it and opened it up. He grinned as he spied a beautiful looking sniper rifle.

The rifle had a S&B scope, which could magnify anything up to 25 times. A folding stock, to reduce the length of the gun, an adjustable cheek piece for the shooter to rest his chin comfortably while looking through the scope, a magazine capable of holding up to five rounds, an adjustable bi-pod to allow for support in a set position, and finally a suppressor at the end of the nozzle to reduce detection by reducing flash and noise. "Come to papa." He pulled the gun from the bag and recalled his days in war, being a veteran allowed him to keep all these guns. He claimed himself to be a 'collector' of special, high quality guns. "This will be better than that tommy gun anyway." Thinking quietly, he pushed the tommy gun into the bag, zipped it up, and slung it back over his shoulder.

Next, he had to take out the guard in the guard tower, silently and quickly. If they pulled the alarm, it could be hazardous for him, then he really would need that machine gun. He gripped the sniper firmly in his hands and looked through the scope, aiming the gun for the guard. The guard was sitting back in a chair, his hands folded over his waist, eyes shut, mouth wide open. Tyler narrowed his eyes and his voice became dry and flat. "He's _asleep_. God they need better security…" Pulling the trigger without hesitation, he watched the guard's body fall from the chair. "Pity."

His son called him a monster to his face, and perhaps he was right. Jeremy could never do all the things that he had done and never would if it weren't for him. They say that children of abusive parents grew up to be abusive, but that wasn't the truth, not when the child knew how to control themselves. Not when they knew the repercussions. Jeremy lost everything, a foul seed implanted in his brain, blind to see anything. Tyler frowned and made a run for the guard tower. Once there, he climbed up the ladders. Stepping over the dead body, he placed the sniper on the edge of the tower and zoomed in to the prison. "Too bad he let that Trent girl get into his system. I'll deal with her when I'm done here…She'll learn a valuable lesson."

Tyler grabbed the dead guard without haste and propped him up, just in case he was spotted, they would believe the guard to be firing upon them. He knew one guard, not more than one, just one, walked the grounds this late at night. He needed to wait for that guard. With a bloody hand, he placed his finger on the trigger and narrowed his eyes. Just as the guard rounded the corner of the prison, he shot the man. He then stood from the gun and looked at the guard, now propped up in his chair. "What is your name?" He reached for a badge on the man's chest and pulled it off. "Officer Nobles, badge number 55432." He drifted his eyes to the officer and smirked. "You know Officer Nobles, my son wouldn't have the guts to pull this off. He barely even had the guts to ever even hurt that girl. The fact that they had a crush on each other beforehand, they're fucking _falling_ for each other. What do you think of that?"

Silence, and nothing more. Tyler rolled his eyes and placed the badge on his own chest. He knew he'd need it to get in. "Fine, don't answer me. That bitch is responsible for making me lose my sons, both to their fucking mother. Well…I'm going to teach her _true_ fear. But shh! Don't tell anyone." He placed his finger to his lips and looked to the computer on the tower. "Serious?" The computers had all of the cameras and controls of the cameras available. Evidently anyone could control them from any location on the prison. In one video shot, he could see it pointed at a prison cell, Hector's. Hector was sitting on his bed, hands clasped together and chin resting on them, he was staring ahead at the wall. "Don't worry Hector, I'm coming for you."

He quickly pushed the officer out of the chair and sat down, extending his arms and typing on the computer. "Okay, I've got access." He unzipped a small area of his bag and pulled out a flash drive, smirking deviously as he pushed it in the USB port. With further typing and mechanical work, he managed to put images that he'd copied from previous nights and freeze them onto the camera screens. Unless the guards were paying close attention, which he knew they wouldn't be at this hour, then they shouldn't notice him running past each camera. He climbed down from the guard tower and scanned the area, it was clear. He ran for the back door and pressed in Officer Nobles's badge number. A clicking sound rang in his ears and he opened the door very carefully. Once inside, he jumped into a shadow in the corner and extended the silencer, he knew there were occasional guards that walked around.

_"Hector isn't too far from here, easy to find."_ He unzipped his duffel bag and placed the sniper inside. He pulled a knife from the bag and zipped it back up, then pushed his pistol into his pocket. _"Jeremy would get sick with all this blood and death._" He remembered a time when Jeremy was just a young child, watching a horror movie, he had nightmares for a week. His son, however, was strong now. There was hardly anything that would get him, but there had to be some things that could screw with him emotionally, tear him apart inside. Perhaps, Jessica was the key to that. Grinning sadistically, Tyler slid across the wall and peered around a corner.

There was a guard sitting at a table playing solitare, evidently he was struggling with it. He was focusing so intently, he didn't notice Tyler slip up behind him. Tyler narrowed his eyes and watched the guard's playing, he needed a seven. Tyler quickly placed the knife around the guard's neck and smirked as the guard gasped and brought his hands up to the knife. He began to sweat, his fat belly rolling as he breathed in. "Who are you?"

"That's for me to know and you…never to find out."

"Please don't kill me, I have a wife and children!" Tyler rolled his eyes and pointed his free hands to the cards on the table. The guard watched, his eyes quivering nervously.

"Okay first off, that line is so cliché and overused in every movie there is. Two, I'm not so caring that I'm going to give a shit about your wife and children. Fuck, I might just screw your wife if I knew where she was or bothered to care what you think." The guard's eyes widened as Tyler leaned in next to him and smirked, thoughts running rampant through his mind. "I do know how to screw with someone mentally and emotionally, and if I knew you personally, maybe had a grudge against you. I'd probably do just that, because I know how it can affect people. But since I don't know you, since I don't care about you, you're going to die here. Unless…you can draw three sevens in the next seven draws."

"What?" The guard moved his eyes to the deck of cards and started to whimper. Seven chances to draw three sevens? It was impossible!

"Do it now. You have your chance to live."

"Please…" He closed his eyes and slowly moved his hand to the cards, it was shaking with violent tremors. He slowly drew the first card and his eyes widened as he stared at it, the first card he drew was a seven! "Yes!"

"It's just one…looks like it was that seven you needed. Now set it down in front of you." The guard nodded and set the card on the table, feeling rather proud and triumphant of himself. "You have six more draws." He pressed his knife a bit more tightly on the guard's neck and cracked his head to the right. The guard whimpered as he felt the cold steel nearly cutting him. "Draw now."

"Just please don't hurt me!"

"Draw damn it!" The guard yelped and quickly drew his second card. Sweat dripped down the bridge of his nose as Tyler clicked his tongue. "Aw, you drew a six. How unlucky for you. Five more chances." The officer was moments away from his death, he could tell he wasn't going to make it. This was like pleading with the grim reaper. "Tell me, what is your name?" The guard drew his third card, but it was a five. Four more chances to draw two sevens.

"O-Officer Clark." He drew his next card and relief washed over him, it was the second seven. Tyler smirked as the officer set the card down.

"Officer Clark, you may just win this. You now have three more tries. Maybe whatever god is up there will shine his light down on you. Tell me a little about your family?" He moved his eyes to the solitaire game and held his smirk, there were already sevens within the game, but the officer was too fearful to notice.

"My wife…she's pregnant with our third child, a little girl. We have two sons as well." Officer Clark drew another card, but it was a jack. He now had two more chances at life, he couldn't die here. He just couldn't.

"I had two sons, but you know something? The legal system took them away from me and my ex gained custody of one of them. I think the oldest lives with her too."

"I'm sorry to hear that." Officer Clark drew once again and whimpered as he held the two of hearts in his clammy hand. He had one more chance, it _had_ to be a seven.

"My oldest has this chick who's turned him. He's back to how he was before my arm of influence reached out. He's back to having that good heart, back to having his head on his shoulders. No more does he let the beast control him." Officer Clark placed his fingers on the deck, grabbing one final card, but not lifting it up. He shook terribly as he listened to Tyler's story. Tyler tensed with anger, his muscles tightening as he narrowed his eyes. "That bitch has a good heart, and it's her fault I've lost my sons, _both_ of them! I'm going to teach her a lesson, I'm going to strike fear into her heart, as well as the heart of my eldest child. He will suffer, he will pay dearly as she loses her soul, and then perhaps her life." Tyler moved his eyes to the officer's trembling hand and shouted. "Draw the damn card!"

"Yes sir!" The officer drew the card and his eyes widened as sweat and tears broke from him. The queen of diamonds, the last thing he would ever see. He closed his eyes and thought about his wife and how beautiful she was. She loved diamonds, she loved all jewelry, but most of all, diamonds. He envisioned her surrounded with diamonds falling from the sky and smiled. He opened his eyes briefly, saw the sevens he'd already set while placing the game, then closed his eyes and imagined his wife again. No wonder he'd lost, the third seven wasn't even in the deck.

"You lose!" Tyler slashed his knife across the man's neck and pushed him to the ground as blood splashed onto the cards. He sneered and lifted the Ace of Spades from the table. "This should be my calling card." The ace was splattered with blood and would serve as a reminder of this night, a reminder of his goals. "Time to free Hector."

He walked carefully, scanning his surroundings and pocketing the card he had. Why was he so messed up? Didn't he have a conscience? These thoughts never actually entered his mind, but perhaps the mind of anybody that knew him. He was a violent man who never had what his son had now. He wanted to take that very thing and shake Jeremy's world. Was he jealous of his son? Perhaps so. He could only imagine what the worst plot of revenge would be against him, murdering the one thing his son cared about more than anything just wasn't enough, he had to hurt him worse than that. He needed to make it tender, he wanted his son to really _feel_ it. Then, and only then, would he kill the girl.

"I'll kill them all. I'll make my son into my own image. Perhaps she was the only thing that caused him from losing himself completely. I will bring that to an end, and he truly will lose everything."

Hector rose from his cot and moved to the cell door, he knew of Tyler's attempt at breaking him out. He knew of the plan. What was taking the imbecile so long, though? Did he not care to do this quickly? No, he thought Tyler cared about him. What he didn't know was that, perhaps Tyler cared only for himself, for his own goals. Hector wasn't as sadistic as Tyler was, wasn't as crazy. He had his own reasons for doing the things that he did, and perhaps teaming with Tyler was the best way to achieve his own goals.

Tyler was simply using him, using him to get close to the Trent family, close to the Puckett family. He often treated Hector as though he were an idiot, a bumbling oaf who had no reason to exist except to serve his purposes. However, he owed a lot to Tyler, one of which being the fact that he was such a great bodyguard that he kept everybody away and for no fee. He never understood why Tyler ever befriended him, maybe it had something to do with his daughters. Or his niece, of whom he recently found out that Tyler knew somehow.

He hadn't known that Sam was Jackie, but evidently Tyler knew this fact. He never told Hector anything about his being knowledgeable about the fact until a few months ago. Hell, Hector didn't even know about Tyler's son having a history with the girl.

Hector placed his hand on the bars of his cell and peered out, scanning the area with his eyes. Where was Tyler? One must not misunderstand Hector, he was a wrathful man, yes, but when it all came down to it, he did want his children to be happy. Over time he'd had plenty of opportunities to think. Why was he always so angry? He didn't have any reason to be angry, no background at all that would make him so vicious. He shot his daughter's boyfriend because he attempted to strike him. When he learned it was Tyler's youngest son, he apologized, but Tyler didn't even care. How could he not care about the possible death of one of his own children?

Sure, Hector was capable of murder, very capable of it, but he would never kill his own children. He wouldn't even want any harm to come to his favorite niece. The reason he'd always been so hard on them growing up was because he firmly believed that was how you disciplined your children when they spoke up. Hector ran his hand nervously through his hair and began to pace his cell, trying not to become impatient. He thought of his daughter, Melanie and breathed out.

Melanie, when she was younger, was much like Sam was now. She wasn't aggressive, she just often spoke out of turn. The way he disciplined her, though, made her become timid. Perhaps he was hardest on her because she was also the sweetest one. He wanted to teach her to fight for herself, to stand up for herself, but she never would. He would hit his wife around because she always spoke out of turn, saying this was no way to treat a child. It was how he grew up, though. You teach a child respect, through fear.

"Come on Tyler, where are you?" Hector growled and moved to the door of his cell, gripping the bars and trying to jar it open.

"Show some patience, dumbass." Hector's eyes widened as Tyler literally walked out of nowhere, coming from the side. His chest rose, then fell inward as Tyler moved a bloody key to the cell door and unlocked it. "Here, you're a free man."

"Thanks…" Hector eyed the keys in Tyler's hand, they were the master keys, which belonged only to the warden. He shook his head and pushed the door open, casually striding out of it. "So what now?"

"We wait for a bit, let everything blow over and just relax. Everything happens in time."

"I want to apologize to my daughters, actually…"

"What?" Tyler raised his eyebrows as Hector shrugged his shoulders. He knew he was an angry man, and he felt no remorse for that fact. He showed what he meant in the wrong ways, it was true, and it scared the shit out of his children. Hell, the way Jeremy was when he hadn't been in the right frame of mind still had more conscience and heart than Hector ever had, even now. He didn't see any wrong with the things he had done.

"For hurting their boyfriends. I wouldn't mind apologizing to my niece for the death of her boyfriend that day, either…" Tyler waved his hand in the air dismissively, thinking of Shane and of Jessica.

"It's been months now, don't bring up old wounds that are probably long gone." Hector frowned and looked past Tyler. Perhaps he was right, dredging up the past would just make things worse. Jessica was probably moving on with her life right about now and didn't need to be reminded of something like that. "But if you still want to pay her a visit, at least, I suppose that wouldn't be a problem. Just give it a little time."

"Yeah…yeah, you're right."

"Now let's get you the hell out of here." Hector nodded and stayed right behind Tyler, eyeing the destruction and death as they retraced Tyler's steps. There was so much blood, so much death, the stench tortured his nose. He never really thought about how sadistic Tyler must be, he didn't seem that bad off to him, really. Although, at least he could see first-hand, just how murderous he could be and how much of a lack of remorse he could show. "Wasn't too difficult to get in, won't be difficult getting you out."

* * *

Hope you enjoyed this chapter, and yes, Tyler is using Hector. Tyler's true goal and reasons will be revealed much later, when the Father's Day arc comes.


	44. An Angry Message

Boarded

A/N:

* * *

Chapter 44 (An Angry Message)

"Where is he?" Sam was furious, she'd just learned about Jessica's stalker and somebody's head was about to roll. Jessica had not told her about him, nobody told her. She'd been riding her bike through the neighborhood when she went to the restroom. When she came out, this stalker attached a note to her bike, saying he'd been watching Jessica and her family, knew about her pasts, and would make sure nobody would harm them. She'd called Melanie about the note and Melanie told her.

"Now relax, just come home okay?" Sam growled at Melanie's words and looked around. The man couldn't be that far away. "Don't do anything rash, Sam." Melanie's tone was rising, she was sure Sam would do something bad at this rate.

"Melanie, do you know who it is?" She remained silent, a sign that she knew but was reluctant to tell Sam. Sam tightened her fingers on the sheet of paper and began to crumple it in her hand. "Do you know how much about Jessica, or any of us, that he knows?" Melanie hesitated before answering, she knew Sam deserved to know the truth and was not going to lie about it.

"Yes, and yes." Sam narrowed her eyes and moved her eyes around her surroundings, if she saw anybody watching her, she was going to jump them. "Sam, what are you going to do?"

"Tell me who it is." Melanie repeated herself, but with extra firmness in her voice. She knew how hot tempered her sister was in this moment, and would do anything to calm her down if she could. "Melanie, you will tell me who is stalking our cousin and how much he knows!" She winced at the harshness in her twin's voice, it hurt her a little. She knew Sam didn't mean anything by it, but she could at least have gone a bit easier on her.

"He knows everything, okay? I don't know how, I just know he does. His name is Lenny…" She thought for sure Sam wouldn't recognize the name, but there was a chance she might know him from the school that she and Jessica attended.

"Lenny?" Sam tapped her chin and lifted her eyes up in thought. Who was this Lenny kid? She thought about the first few days Jessica was at the school, and how Jessica helped fend off some bullies from some scrawny little kid that had a crush on her ever since then. Her eyes widened as she thought more about that kid, she remembered seeing him watching them sometimes, but always chalked it up to a boyish crush. Rage seeped through her as a growl begun in her throat and increased in volume. Melanie recognized that tone, Sam was about to roar. "Lenny? That skinny little twit? He's fucking _dead_ when I get my hands on him! Dead!"

"Sam! No, if you make any contact whatsoever with the stalker, it can make things worse! Just let the police handle it." That was assuming Jessica even went to the police, which right now, she didn't want to go there.

"Fuck no! This isn't about Jessica, the fucker left a note on my bike! He's been watching us all, and I won't stand around and let my family be stalked by some skinny little geek who can't take 'no' for a fucking answer!" Sam hung her phone up and threw it into her purse. Her hair flew wildly as she ran and jumped onto her bike. Her eyes were bright with fire as she pedaled down the road at high speeds. Melanie continued to talk in the phone for a few seconds, hoping to calm her sister down, but groaned when she realized Sam had hung up on her.

If Jessica thought she was going to handle this problem alone, she had another thing coming. Most girls don't go after a stalker alone, most are smarter than that, some are too afraid to confront them, but Sam was fearless when it came to protecting her family. She'd sooner die than to let someone threaten or frighten her family or friends. This kid was almost like Nevel was with Carly, but worse. Nevel never actually stalked anyone and Carly was never afraid of him.

Sam wouldn't let on that she knew Jessica had been in contact with Jeremy, or even that she suspected there was something going on between them. She figured she had no right to really complain about it as long as Jessica was happy and not getting hurt in any way. If something developed between the two, it might be odd at first, but she would probably ease into it. The one thing she did know about Jeremy, if he knew about Jessica's stalker, he would probably want to tear the guy apart just like she did.

Sam stopped her bike in front of a small, beaten looking, red brick house and jumped onto the grass. She narrowed her eyes as her bike fell to the ground. This was where Lenny lived. She knew she'd be here before him, considering he'd just left the note on her bike, she hadn't been in the restroom longer than five minutes and the conversation with Melanie wasn't that long. She picked her bike up and walked to the side of the house, hiding both herself and the bike in the bushes.

_"Let's see how you feel about being stalked, shit-face." _Sam waited for a few minutes and smirked when she saw Lenny walking down the street. He seemed like he could be blown away by the wind, but as scrawny as he was, she knew he was a bit of a formidable person. He was strong enough to pin someone down, but yet didn't know how to fight. Sam was sure Melanie was right and going after a stalker is never the best idea, but she didn't care right now, she was too furious to really concern herself with wrong or right. Lenny checked the mailbox and frowned, there was nothing new. Sam's phone started to go off, she rolled her eyes and let it ring. It was most likely Melanie, going to lecture her on why going after a stalker was a bad idea, and that often times stalkers will try to get rid of those in their way of their own happiness, those they deem threats. She wasn't worried. Lenny started to walk toward the front door, and that's when he froze from Sam's roar.

"What the hell!" Lenny gasped as Sam charged at him from the bushes and leapt on top of him, slamming him to the ground. She clenched her hands on his shirt and glared into his eyes, lifting him up and slamming him down multiple times. "Stop! That hurts! Stop hurting me!" Her eyes burned with intense anger as she pulled her fist back and slammed it down on his face.

"I'll shatter you!" Sam pulled him up and slammed him against the bricks of his house. She noticed that he had some bruises and scuffs already, that he must have gotten into a fight recently. "I wonder if someone else got you for stalking my cousin." Lenny moaned as he looked into her dangerous glare. Her stare felt like daggers, piercing into his very soul. He couldn't believe it, he thought Sam cared about Jessica and her happiness. She was like Jeremy, wanted to keep him away from her. Sam pointed her finger in his face and felt the bile rising in her throat. "You listen to me and you listen good. I don't want to catch you around Jessica. If you continue to bother her, I will beat the shit out of you, do you understand me?"

"But you should care about her happiness."

"I do."

"She likes me though, you saw it yourself!" Sam raised her eyebrow and her tone became flat as her annoyance with this kid grew. "If she didn't want to be with me, then why would she stop that bully that day?"

"Out of the kindness of her heart, and if you ask me, I think it would have been best if she let those bullies beat you. Bash your skull in…you just don't get that she wants nothing to do with you, do you?"

"Well I admit, she might not know how she feels yet…"

"Oh believe me, she knows how she feels and she knows exactly what she wants." Sam and Melanie knew that pretty damn well too, Melanie probably knew it more, though. Jessica wanted a nice tall, skinny but muscular baseball player who had an exceptional aim and great skill with one of the most famous baseball moves around. "Let me tell you, she doesn't want _you_. She wants someone who can protect her, who can keep her safe, and look at you…you can't even protect yourself against _me_."

"Oh?" Sam rolled her eyes and threw Lenny to the ground, kicking him in the side.

"Come on, fight me if you want! You can't do shit to me!" Sam grabbed his hair and lifted his head up, talking venomously into his ear. "You stay away from Jessica. Do you understand me?" Lenny moaned and Sam dropped his head onto the pavement, slowly pressing her foot onto his back. "I said, do you understand me?"

"Yes! Yes I understand you…"

"Thank you." Sam clapped her hands together and walked off to her bike. She felt guilty for beating the kid up, but he needed someone to smack some sense into him. Lenny glared at her for a second before picking himself up and going into his house. Sam took her phone out and dialed Melanie, as the girl had not stopped trying to call her. "Hey Mel."

"Sam!" Her voice was frantic, she had been so worried. "Gibby's tried to call you, didn't he get a hold of you?"

"No?" Sam didn't know he was trying to call her, she'd been so busy dealing with Lenny that she'd not noticed his ring tone. "What's going on?"

"Someone just cherry bombed their mailbox!"

"What?"

"Yeah, I think-" Sam hung up on her again, leaving her with a quiet expression on her face. Sam picked up her bike and pedaled frantically to Gibby's home, where she saw him standing around the mailbox with Jeremy and David. The now broken mailbox lay in pieces on the ground. Gibby looked up as Sam ran to him.

"Gibby what happened? Are you okay!"

"Yeah, I'm fine. It was Jeremy that got hit."

"Huh?" She looked over as Jeremy, who had been kneeling and looking at the pieces on the ground, rose up. He had a cut on his arm, but at most, that was it. He'd been going to get the mail when it exploded.

"Some of the shrapnel hit him. It would have been worse if he was at the mailbox." Jeremy rubbed the back of his head and chuckled, he didn't see much reason to worry, everything was fine as it was. Guppy had stopped him at the door for a few seconds, wanting to show him something he made out of his Lego toys.

"Are you okay, Jeremy?" Sam looked at the cut on his arm and winced, it looked like a deep gash. Jessica would not want to see that. "Is it tender?"

"Yeah a bit, but all in all, I'm fine. We'll need a new mailbox though…"

"Melanie said it was a cherry bomb." David picked something up from the rubble and groaned, shaking his head.

"Not quite a cherry bomb, but whatever it was, must have been in this package." Sam looked to David and saw the small brown box he was holding. It had a hole in it and one corner of the former square was completely blown off. "We're just fortunate that no one was hurt. Charlotte's inside with Guppy right now…" Guppy couldn't stop crying, thinking that Jeremy had been seriously injured.

"Yeah, the little guy's worried about me." Jeremy had actually been blown back a bit by the explosion, and it was so loud that it really did do a lot to scare everybody. "Whoever did this was trying to convey a point, clearly…" Sam placed her hand on her chest and took a deep breath, exhaling slowly. Nothing but a cut, that was it. She could probably fork over a couple dollars to help pay for a new mailbox, though.

The next day, Sam was on her usual bike route, pedaling through the streets and the parks. She stopped once again at her usual restroom stop and leaned her bike against a nearby tree. She entered the restroom and took a little extra time to put some makeup on, she was going to end her bike route with a date tonight, Gibby wanted to take her out to dinner. Normally she hated makeup, but this place was a formal place, she needed some makeup, but only a little.

When she left the restroom, she noticed something was a little off about her bike, it looked like it had been moved about an inch away from the tree. She clenched her fingers around her cell phone and flipped it open, just in case. She had a bad feeling in her gut.

She moved a little closer to the bike and froze when she spotted a tiny, brown, square-shaped package wedged between the spokes on her tire. Fear and panic rushed through her veins as she quickly pressed her mom's speed dial number. The phone started to ring and just as Sam turned to run away from her bike, the package exploded.

"Hello? Sam?" Sam screamed as she looked back. A tire flew over her head, parts of her bike went flying in all directions. She froze in her tracks and felt a sharp pain digging into her side and her upper back. A couple pieces of pole like metal had impaled her. Her body shook and her eyes widened. "Sam! Are you okay? What was that noise! Sam? Sam? Sam!" Sam moaned and fell onto her side, her eyes watching as the blood mixed with the grass. "Oh god, Melanie call 911!" Melanie's rushed, panicked voice could be heard in the background asking what was going on as she did what her mother said.

"H-Help." Her voice was weakened, crackling, and the phone was lying on the ground a few inches away from her. She could just barely make out her mother's voice trying to keep her calm while freaking out herself. "I'm in the park…restroom I…usually…"

"Melanie! She's at the restroom she stops at! The park!"

"Got it Mom!"

Sam's vision blurred with the salty tears as she closed her eyes, fearing the worst. She wanted to lose consciousness, but that wasn't happening. Her heart was racing and every muscle in her body was sending out surges of pain. Her hand shook as she closed her fingers on the grass. All she could think about was that her bike was busted and she would miss her date with Gibby. She winced as the sound of sirens crashed into her ears. Maybe she wouldn't die, not here, not if the paramedics had found her so soon.

"There she is! Oh my god it's Samantha!" A familiar voice called out to her as she felt herself being lifted up. She opened her eyes and waited for her vision to adjust while this voice tried to tell her it would be okay. As her vision adjusted, she remembered that Freddie's mother was an emergency paramedic. Swallowing, she could see Marissa bent over her, calling out orders to the other paramedics and looking into her eyes. "Sam, it's going to be okay, you're going to be just fine."

"Whoever did this to me…is dead…when I get out…" Marissa smiled sadly as Sam closed her eyes. At some point of time, they must have cut the metal poles enough to place her safely on the stretcher. She remembered the prior day and moaned, it had to be the same person. "They tried to get…Gibby's brother…"

"What? Jeremy too?"

"Brown package…blew his mailbox to hell…" So this wasn't just a random prankster, it couldn't be. It was something more serious. If her husband had still been alive, he'd be all over this case by now, as he had been a police officer. Sam's body twitched and she began to go into shock, the paramedics then begun to work fast.

"She's going into shock! Come on!"

* * *

See, stalkers equal BAD


	45. Comfort and Acceptance

Boarded

A/N:

* * *

Chapter 45 (Comfort and Acceptance)

Jeremy, Gibby, Melanie and Pam waited outside of the operating room while the doctors worked feverishly on Sam. Marissa was sitting outside, talking with Pam, who was in tears. Melanie was speaking with Gibby and Jeremy, trying to get to the bottom of everything. "You guys were attacked too? The same device?" Gibby nodded and rested his elbow on Jeremy's shoulder. He was watching the door of that operating room with such intensity, praying that his girlfriend would be safe. The pole that went through her upper body had just missed her heart by a few inches.

"I don't know, but someone tried to kill my brother and my girlfriend. I want to think it's someone after me, but for some reason it seems otherwise…" Jeremy's face tightened when he thought back to Lenny. Was it possible that the stalker did this? He knew they were often more than capable, but had Sam actually made an effort to find him? "Who did this to my girlfriend?" He looked into Melanie's eyes, as though she had the answer to the burning question of the day.

"I wish I knew Gibby. I think I have an idea, though, but I don't want _you _doing anything?" Gibby frowned, his adrenaline surging. How could anyone possibly expect him to do _nothing_ when his girlfriend was nearly _murdered_? "Whoever it is might go after you, Gibby."

"Let them." Jeremy placed his hand on Gibby's shoulder, causing the younger sibling to look up at him. He closed his eyes and shook his head. "Ah whatever…" Gibby tore away from the two and stepped right next to the door, watching through the window with growing worry and concern. Jeremy felt this was the right time to talk to Melanie, while Gibby wasn't standing next to them and able to hear everything. He folded his arms over and it was then Melanie noticed the gauze pad over his cut. He had to get a tetanus shot, just in case.

"Okay Mel, I'm going to confess, I know Jessica has a stalker after her." Melanie frowned and snapped her fingers, how had he found out? He looked to the operating room and exhaled. "When you called me and said something was up, I actually looked around when I arrived and saw that one kid watching her. I was already with her, so I didn't want to say anything, and it was clear you knew he was there too." Melanie pressed her lips together and gazed tiredly at the door.

"Yeah, I knew he was there." Had he tried to confront Lenny afterwards? She wouldn't put it past him to do exactly what Sam did. Something in her said otherwise, though, like he had actually not tried to find Lenny. "So, you think he's responsible? Sam actually knew who he was and when she received a note, letting her know he was watching, she sought him out and threatened him."

"I see." Something had to be done about him, and it was up to Jessica to do it. "I actually didn't go after him. He followed me after our conversation and I realized he was, so I attacked him…" In hindsight, it probably would have been best to leave him be, but after the interaction he and Jessica had, Lenny probably would have already threatened him. He growled with frustration and rubbed his hand through his hair. "She does _not_ need this. She's gone through enough hell."

"We all have, Jeremy. We all have."

"I won't let him hurt her. I will _never_ let him touch her." Melanie smiled and moved her gaze to him. His eyes were so determined, so filled with fire and certainty. Pam and Marissa watched as well, they could see it in him too. They were glad to see it, glad to see just how he felt about Jessica. Someone else saw it too, though. Mrs. Trent. Jeremy didn't see her, but the others saw her walk in the room. Jessica was still securing the car. It wasn't long before she came running into the hospital in tears, shouting for Sam. "Whoa!" Jeremy turned around as a rageful, frightened Jessica ran into him. He placed his hands on her arms as she sobbed bitterly.

"Sam! I have to see her! I have to see my little cousin!"

"Jessica, the doctors are taking care of her, we can't see her right now though." She was hysterical, unable to control herself. She didn't know what happened, just that someone planted an explosive on Sam's bike. She shook her head and continued to scream.

"No! I have to make sure she's okay! I have to protect her, I have to see her, I have to let her know it's going to be okay!"

"Jessica. Jessica!"

"Please! I need to see her." Jeremy sighed and gently placed his hand on the side of her face, which calmed her a little as she leaned into his hand. She looked into his strong eyes and felt her heart start slowing with time. Someone needed to tell _her_ it would be okay, someone needed to protect and comfort her, now who was it going to be? "Jeremy…"

"Jessica, listen to me. Sam is _fine_, okay? The doctors got there in time, they got to her. They're saving her life as we speak. You can see her when they're done, okay?" He knew she needed him to be calm right now, and perhaps he was the calmest one there, but inside, he wanted to find Lenny and tear his heart out. He knew better, though. At least now he definitely knew better. Any second later, Sam might not have made it. Her eyes shook as Jeremy wiped her tears with his thumb. She couldn't take her gaze away from his, no matter what she did. She didn't want to do so anyway. She didn't understand how he could have such power over her. She was reeling inside, like a wild storm brewing, but one look into his eyes and that storm came crashing down.

"I'm scared, Jeremy…" Her breath hitched and he pulled her close, letting her soak her tears onto his chest. She closed her eyes as she felt his warm breath hitting her skin. Did she ever think she could feel so protected, so safe in his arms? Yes, she'd always thought about how it would feel to feel his loving touch, to feel his tenderness. It took a long time to even get this far, but she was happy to say that she felt just right in his arms.

"I know you are." He placed his chin on her head and softly rubbed her back, soothing her. This felt right to him, holding her in his arms like this. The fact that she trusted him like this meant so much to him, made him incredibly happy. He'd give anything for her, anything to make her happy. She lowered her voice to a whisper as she wrapped her arms tightly around his waist and scraped her fingers along his back. She felt like she could confide in him.

"Jeremy, I…someone's stalking me. You might have seen him at the park…he was lurking around."

"I did see him." Jessica frowned and looked up into his eyes. "I didn't want to tell you right then because I did not want to worry you."

"I understand."

"Jessica, I won't let him hurt you. I won't let anybody hurt you. The world can start exploding, going crazy with all sorts of storms, and I will _still_ make damn sure you are safe." The corner of her lips turned upwards and slowly grew into a smile as her heart jumped to her throat. The fact that he cared so much about her touched her in ways that he could never know. "You know that sounded better in my head."

"It still came out well enough. Jeremy…" Her cheeks became red as she glanced to the side, wanting to avert her eyes from his so she could regain some sort of composure. "Thank you." It was then she noticed Freddie running into the hospital. Melanie had texted him, so he rushed over as fast as he could. She looked at his wrist and smiled, that watch was still in perfect condition. She never did ask for it back, she wanted him to keep it. Her eyes then traveled up his arm, then was when she caught a glimpse of his bandage. "Oh my god, what happened to your arm?"

"My arm?" His brow furrowed as she lifted his sleeve up. "Oh that." Now she was going to worry more and didn't want to lie to her. She'd know he was lying anyway. "Someone blew my mailbox up and a piece of the metal cut my arm." She gasped and covered her mouth. Someone tried to hurt him? What was going on and why was this happening? "It's nothing, really."

"It's nothing? Jeremy they could have amputated your arm!" He chuckled nervously as Melanie simply smiled at her. "Did you get checked to make sure you don't get infected?"

"Yes."

"The doctors said you were okay?"

"Yes…" He rolled his eyes and smiled as she stared at the gauze pad. She had a feeling Lenny was behind the attacks on both Jeremy and Sam, she blamed herself. The tears started to come and Jeremy quickly sprang to action, placing his finger under her chin and lifting her gaze to his. "Hey, hey, now don't fret okay? It's nothing major."

"But it could have been more serious! You could be like Sam is, and it would be all my fault…"

"Your fault? What do you mean, your fault?"

"It's Lenny, isn't it? He's the reason…" She sniffed and Jeremy's face softened as she wiped her eyes. "He's obsessed with me and now he's hurting those I care about. It's all my fault!"

"Now you listen to me, it is _not_ your fault. You have no control over what he does, okay? The only good thing about that guy is, hey, he's got good taste." She raised her eyebrow curiously and her mind left Lenny for the minute and she focused on Jeremy.

"What do you mean?"

"He thinks you're pretty good looking. I have to say, most guys must find you good looking." She smiled and chuckled, wiping her eyes as her heart pulsated. Her body relaxed as she looked into his soft eyes.

"You think I'm good looking?"

"Truthfully?" He smiled and moved to her ear, whispering softly and sending shivers down her spine. "I find you incredibly beautiful." The blood shot to her cheeks and her eyes widened. She couldn't believe it, he actually thought she was _beautiful_. "It has always killed me to see you hurting, that's why it's so hard to explain these feelings that I have. Only, I've had them for the longest time, ever since we were children."

"Give it time." She whispered so softly, nobody could know what they were saying. Jeremy's eyes quivered as his heart trembled inside, a powerful urge to hold onto her forever building up inside. "The past is past, you'll see that in time. The stronger feelings, the ones from the heart, don't ever let them be snuffed out. Do you understand this?"

"Yes."

"Don't be afraid of your heart. Do you want to know what I think of every time I think of you? Whenever I think of you…I can only think of how handsome you are, how sweet and understanding you are, and how _amazing_ you make me feel."

"Really?"

"I feel safe, do you understand? It may be hard for you to understand it, but I feel safer with you than I've ever felt with anybody."

"Jessica, I…" His eyes glazed over as his heart swelled up, he couldn't believe what he was hearing. That she actually felt this way about him meant so much. He closed his eyes and held on to her tightly. "I will always keep you safe."

"I know you will. I trust you, Jeremy." The operating door opened and scared the two apart as the doctors walked out of the room. Jessica moved over to them and Jeremy watched her, smiling softly. "How is she? How is my cousin?"

"She is fine." The doctor smiled and placed his hand on Jessica's shoulder. Relief washed over her and everybody could stop holding their breathes. "We need to keep her a couple nights for observation as she recovers, but everything considered, she is a very lucky girl." Jessica nodded and memories of Lenny flashed through her mind, making her feel a bit uncomfortable about Sam staying here.

"Can you have someone stationed in her room, watching her?"

"Yes we can, is there a reason?"

"Yes, and an important one…"

Jeremy exhaled and looked up as he felt a soft hand resting upon his shoulder. He turned around to see Janet looking at him with a smile on her face. "You make my daughter very happy, you know that?"

"Thank you, Ms. Trent."

"I know you will never harm her. I could never believe you would hurt her in the first place." Jeremy frowned as Janet waved her hand in the air. "Never think about the bad times, but remember the times you were children, when you two were practically inseparable. Think about how things are now…as I'm sure you know, she's confused about how she feels, but not so much anymore as she was before."

"I know. I want to take away from that confusion."

"And you do. I love seeing my child so happy and I trust you with her. I want you to know that." His heart jumped and tears once again threatened his eyes. He hated it, but hell, he wasn't complaining.

"It means a lot to hear you say that…"

"I want you to know that it is okay, perhaps once all this blows over, if you want to ask her on a date. Neither of us has any qualms about that and she would love for you to ask her out." He blushed as Janet looked over to her daughter. She was so proud of the woman she was becoming. So strong, so independent. She was an inspiration, truly an inspiration. Jeremy looked back to Jessica and smiled as she looked over to him, her face brightening up. She was right, he wouldn't let his fear suppress his emotions. He had no reason to be afraid, but he wanted to wait a while before asking her out, assuming he worked up the courage to do that at all.

* * *

So Sam's okay and basically given Jeremy and Jessica a green light. We also hear a little bit about Jessica's father, who should be making a very _grand_, action packed appearance very soon.


	46. Visitation and Breaking News

Boarded

A/N:

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Chapter 46 (Visitation and Breaking News)

When Sam actually awoke and people could go in to see her, they did not want to overwhelm her, so people visited her in singles or doubles. Gibby had his own private time with her after going in with Pam and Janet, who had left so he'd have his time. It was very romantic and soothing watching from the outside, very touching for everyone to see his tears and how much he loved her. Of course, she told him not to go after the person that did this to her, she didn't want him getting hurt because of her. It was hard to convince him, but she _made_ him promise. Even weakened and in a hospital bed, she was still tough as nails.

Melanie and Freddie went in after them and stood on either side of Sam's bed, they were very, very happy she was doing so well. "How are you feeling?" Freddie asked as he pulled her bed sheet up a bit. Sam looked at her chest and lifted the hospital gown up at the collar to see in, she wasn't able to see much.

"All I can say is, now I know how a shish kabob feels like." Freddie and Melanie looked at each other and chuckled dryly. They weren't sure if she was joking or not. "That, and I'm really hungry right now." She looked to Freddie and lifted her hand an inch. "Benson, did you happen to sneak in some jerky or something?" He closed his eyes and smiled while Melanie stifled a laugh.

"Good to see you're feeling back to normal. You know you gave your mom and sister, cousin too, quite the scare." Sam closed her lips and grinded the back ends of her teeth. She looked through the window of the door and saw Jeremy and Jessica talking. She felt guilty about going after Lenny, she knew she probably shouldn't have done that the minute she saw what happened to Jeremy's mailbox. "I was a little late getting here because I was helping Jonah on some project at the shop when Mel texted me." Sam nodded at him and turned her eyes to her sister, remembering the sounds of panic coming from the phone that day. She was able to acknowledge that it was Melanie's fast action that might have saved her life, or the fact that something told her to call her mother in that moment.

"I'm _so_ sorry I put you through that." Melanie moved in to hug her sister and was careful to do it gently and to avoid where Sam had been hit. Sam winced just a bit, as her entire body still felt the pain. It wasn't so bad anymore, not as bad as it felt with the spikes in her. Melanie backed up and wiped a tear from her eyes as Sam's hands balled up. "I'm not paralyzed, I hope." She couldn't see her feet, but at least she thought they moved when she attempted to move them. "I'm going to be real pissed if he paralyzed me." Unfortunately if he had, that meant she wouldn't be able to get him. "It was Lenny, wasn't it, Mel?"

"There's no proof of that, Sam. No proof at all…" Sam frowned and stared at her feet under the sheet. She felt like she was going to be sick. If there was no evidence to support the claim that Lenny was behind this, then that meant he would not be arrested. Freddie stared at the sisters with a baffled expression. Who was Lenny? He had no idea. Melanie looked at him, seeing the confusion in his eyes. It upset her that she couldn't tell him what he obviously wanted to know, it was not her place to tell anybody. "I'm sorry Freddie, I know what you want to know…"

"Can't tell me who Lenny is?" She closed her eyes and shook her head, she made a promise to Jessica.

"It's not my place. I didn't even want to tell Sam, but she made me. Now you see why I didn't want to tell her." She pointed at Sam, who continued to stare at her feet. Guilt and pain hit her, but no physical pain. She deserved those words, because it was her who went after Lenny like an idiot. "I may look like I don't know much, but I _do_ know what I'm talking about." She knelt next to Sam and carefully brushed her bangs from her face. "I'm sorry if I sound mean, Sis…"

"No it's okay, you're right. I shouldn't have gone after him. I put everybody through a lot of hell by doing that…does Jessica know about everything?"

"Yes, she has a pretty good idea who's behind all this…" Sam closed her eyes and grasped the sheets tightly in her fingers.

"Would you send her in now? I love you Mel, and thank you for being here for me." Sam lifted her hand and dabbed away the tears in her eyes. She looked at Freddie and smiled at him. "You too, thank you." He smiled back as Melanie gave her one last hug.

"I love you too, Sis." Sam watched the two leave, sharp pangs of guilt still gutted her. She closed her eyes and scoffed, trying to push the guilt away. Seeing her mom's tears and hearing Melanie's words really did hit her. If Jessica knew what happened, then she was really in for it. It was funny, though. Carly wasn't out there, she noticed. She missed her old friend, hadn't seen her in two months. The last she heard of her, she'd made it onto the cheerleading squad.

Jeremy and Jessica walked into the room, a bit wary of what Sam might think about them entering together. She smiled at them and waved, showing them she wasn't at all bothered by the fact. Jerry moved to where Freddie had been standing while Jessica hurried over and hugged her cousin. "Sam, I'm so glad you're okay!"

"Thanks, I'm glad I'm all right too. Did you happen to bring a steak with you?" Jeremy chuckled while Jessica smiled and rolled her eyes. She was so glad she actually loved her cousin with all her heart and her cousin's being bedridden told her she could smack her upside the head. "So, did Melanie tell you what happened?" Jessica shook her head and stood up, she was so ridden with fear and a mix of other emotions that she never thought to ask Melanie anything about the attack.

"All I know is someone broke your bike…and I think it was the same person who put that gash on Jeremy's arm." Jeremy's arms were folded neatly across his chest, and of course this made the bandage show a bit. He closed his eyes and smirked a bit, breathing from his nose.

"It's just a little cut, not a gash."

"It's a gash, and you know it! Stop trying to make it not seem so bad to make me feel better…" She looked down and he gazed at her, she was going through so much. He stepped in front of her and placed his hands on her arms, looking into her eyes. "What?"

"Don't blame yourself." He put emphasis on the words. He knew they wouldn't really impact her as much as he wanted them to, but he had to try. Sam watched the two and tilted her head, she felt a sort of aura coming from them. Jessica was still having a hard time and still crying, and of course Jeremy was wiping the tears away. "Now, we're here to see your cousin. She's okay, perfectly fine, so those better be tears of joy or I'm going to have to make you laugh. That may or may not involve some form of tickling." Jessica felt a single laugh slip from her throat and out her lips, then covered her mouth with her hand, trying to hide the smile growing on her face. "Ah what was that, now?" He smirked and wagged his eyebrows as he lifted his hand to hers. "Let's see what you're hiding, bet it's a lovely smile."

"Mm-mm!" She shook her head, her eyes dancing into his. She pressed her hand firmly to her cheeks and Jeremy knew he wasn't getting her hand from her mouth.

"Well let me see if I can remember." He tapped his chin lightly as Jessica raised an eyebrow, her cheekbones rising and falling a bit. "Ah yes, we're eight or nine and playing in the back yard with Gibby…your mother comes out and says it's time for dinner…" Jessica thought back, she knew what he was doing. This memory always made her laugh. "Well Gibby and I didn't want to go home."

"We were eight…" She was already starting to struggle to suppress the laughter, she really didn't want to give in, but it was too much.

"Right. So what happens, you tell us to hide and you trick me, why you chose to trick me like this, I still haven't figured out." She smirked under her hand as she recalled the brilliant memory as though it were yesterday. "You hide Gibby in your closet…and push me under your mom and dad's bed."

Sam's eyebrows rose, she didn't remember this and wasn't sure if it happened before or after she moved in with Jessica. She remembered Janet's husband had gone overseas shortly after she moved in with her, he was still over there, but his duty was about to end and he was scheduled to come home, but she wasn't sure exactly when. "You ensure me that it's a safe place to hide, and for some reason, I actually believed you." Jessica giggled and caught herself, then watched as Jeremy's hot smirk formed upon his lips. "What was that? A giggle?"

"Sucker."

"Oh? I'm a sucker?"

"Yes, because you believed me when I told you hiding under mom and dad's bed would be safe."

"Yeah, I was a sucker." He laughed and she exploded in laughter. It happened to be that night was when her parents decided to have sex, Jessica did not know that would happen and thought that her mom would simply find Jeremy and have a stern talking to him. It was so embarrassing for them, but after a while, the two were able to just laugh about it. "I sat through an hour of one of the most painful things that an eight year old child should never have to go through." Sam's eyes widened as she got what they were talking about.

"Wow." The two looked at Sam as she stared at them with a mix of astonishment and disbelief. "You two are a riot, you know that, right?" At least Jeremy was able to make her laugh, Jessica deserved that much with all the crap going on lately. "By the way, I have a question for you two, and it may make you feel incredibly uncomfortable."

"What's the question?" They both asked simultaneously, then looked at each other for a split second. Sam rolled her eyes and the corners of her lips tilted upwards.

"Is there _always_ this much sexual tension between you two?"

"Huh?" Their eyes widened and Jessica's jaw dropped as she stared at her cousin with pure shock.

"Seriously, the raging pheromones are pouring from your bodies! Hell, the tension's so powerful I could feel it from a mile away." Jessica's face grew red as a tomato and she near instantly fainted on the spot.

"What makes you think there's anything between me and Jerry?"

"The fact that…" Sam thought for a second and exhaled slowly. "Let me put it this way. The thing about twins, they know each other's feelings and can kind of gauge somewhere within the ballpark of their thoughts. And I've been pretty sure for a while now that whenever she talked about how you were being friendly with Jeremy, that there was something going on. She doesn't get all dramatic with her sighs unless there's something romantic going on somewhere."

"Oh, I see…" Jeremy closed his eyes and folded his arms over his chest. So, maybe Sam had figured something out, but there really wasn't anything going on.

"At least right now, we're just friends." Sam rolled her eyes and looked to Jeremy, pointing at him.

"And right now you are being a filthy liar. Don't lie, I know you don't lie, because if you lied, Jessica wouldn't give a shit about you. Now is the sexual tension between you _this_ bad whenever you're alone?" Jessica's blush increased as her heart started to pound. Jeremy kept his cool, not wanting to press the panic button just yet. His face softened and his voice lowered a bit.

"Worse." Jessica nodded with agreement. It was so bad that whenever she was with him, she just wanted to kiss him and never pull away. She couldn't help it that she thought he was completely hot and she felt like, maybe, she might be falling for him. He looked at Jessica through the corner of his eyes and her eyes slowly drifted to his. Already the heated tension was flaring up. Sam took notice of this and lifted her hands up.

"Whoa okay, reminder, cousin in the hospital bed here…you lovebirds can put that stuff on the backburner for a bit." They turned their eyes sharply upon Sam, their cheeks becoming hotter. They didn't consider themselves _lovebirds_, as she put. If anything, they just had a really powerful crush on each other and equally powerful urges. Sam's face softened as she saw the smile on Jessica's face. She was happy, that was all that mattered. "Just remember this, Jeremy. We all are watching. We don't hold your past against you any longer, so don't think that influences what I'm going to say, because I said the same thing to Freddie, we've said the same thing to Gibby, said the same thing to Jonah, and I'll say the same thing to you, if anything ever happens between you two, that is…"

"Okay?" He looked nervously at Jessica for a minute, while she felt a sense of calmness coming onto her. She for sure thought Sam would react much worse to Jeremy than anyone else, but maybe the fact that she too had a past with him made a difference. She, like Jessica, knew that the things he'd done were not what was truly in his heart. She knew a much different man than that.

"You protect her, you treat her right, you keep her happy. Do you understand me so far?" He swallowed and slowly nodded his head. Shouldn't she be tearing him apart right about now? She probably would if she could get out of that hospital bed. She pointed at him and narrowed her eyes. "If you _ever_ hurt her, and I don't think that you will, because I know you're a better person than that…but if you ever hurt her, then I'm going to beat the shit out of you, and you will have lost my trust and respect."

He was not going to argue with that, because he knew he would deserve a beating if he ever did anything to harm her. "I'd sooner die than to cause her any pain."

"Good, because believe me, there's someone much worse than I am that you'd have to deal with if you ever did cause her any pain." Jessica mused on that statement, who could there be? Then realization hit her, he was coming home this month! He didn't even know the things she'd gone through, either! Her eyes locked with Sam's and almost pleaded with her. Jeremy was confused, but he had an idea who Sam was talking about. "Now I will not tell Uncle John about the things that you did when you were…out of your mind…" Jeremy's eyes widened, he was right, she was referring to Jessica's father. The military man in the Army, he'd just been promoted to the first General rank and should be coming home rather soon. If anything could be said about all the crap that had been going on lately and someone with the power to stop it, it was General John Trent, perhaps the most protective person around. People had been messing with his family, and if word got out, he'd destroy everyone that caused them any pain and suffering. That, and he controlled a whole section of the Army now.

"Mr. Trent…" Jessica's eyes brightened as she nearly jumped up with joy at the mention of her father's name. She'd not seen him in so long, but had always gotten letters back and forth. She couldn't wait to see him again. "With my luck, he might try to recruit me into the military…" Sam laughed and pointed at him.

"And if he does, you'd better join. It might do you a world of good." Jessica gasped and placed her hand protectively on his chest.

"But Jeremy can't stand the sight of death, and if he joins the military, he might have to go to war and…_kill_ people."

"Eh, it would teach him a few things that he'd need to know about life. Besides, the chances of him actually going to war are pretty slim." John knew Jeremy well, being the grandson of the nice lady across the street, he'd probably love to see the kid again. Jessica gave Sam a warning look and lifted her finger up.

"You are _not_ to tell dad a _thing_ about what Jeremy did. That's over and done with, even mom isn't going to tell dad. Dad looks at Jeremy as if he's his own, he has nothing but respect for him." Sam agreed and wouldn't actually tell him anything. Besides, she didn't have a right to tear down her uncle's trust like that. "I'm just so happy, because dad's coming home this month!" Now there really was nothing to fear. He'd lay it all to rest with a single motion of his hand. Nobody would escape his grasp.

"Yeah, I think Uncle John might have enough on his plate if he learns anything about the rodeo…"

"Oh, he uh…he knows what happened with Uncle Hector and Jeremy's dad." Sam lifted her eyebrows and Jeremy carefully rubbed the back of his neck. "We correspond with letters and while I never told him about Jeremy's past, though he always asked about him…I did tell him about Uncle Hector, about Tyler, and that's about it…should I not have?" Sam pressed her lips together and sighed.

"Probably not. Did you ever get a letter back?"

"Yeah, I'm starting to think my talking about that influenced his decision…" He'd been scheduled to leave some time around November, but he sent a letter back to Jessica saying that he requested an earlier leave and was granted it. So now, he was coming home sometime early June. "He requested earlier leave. But I'm so incredibly happy about that!"

"So am I, but I have a feeling there's going to be a few unhappy people." Lenny, Hector, Tyler, just to name a few. It would be hard to miss somebody stalking your daughter, whether Jessica told him or not. People were often able to pick up on fear and terror when it came to those they loved.

The group talked a bit more for about five minutes, before visitation was over. When they left, a police officer entered the room and Sam was curious as to why he was there. The reasoning was much worse than just Lenny. He flipped the television on for her and the national news came up with an important alert.

"This just in!" The news lady appeared calm and collected, something Sam always wondered how news reporters did when revealing terrible things. Her eyebrows rose when a picture of her father appeared on the screen. "Hector "Texan Thunder" Puckett has escaped from jail singlehandedly and left devastation at his wake." Images of the prison rolled across the screen and Sam felt sick to her stomach, the dead bodies were numerous. There were about five or six dead guards. Had her father really done all of that? She couldn't wrap her mind around that, but it was possible. "An anonymous witness accounts that he worked alone, masterminding a great plot for his escape. How he acquired the weapons, we do not know, but it is believed he received them from other inmates and guards. He is a dangerous and violent man, please keep a lookout for him and call your emergency hotline if you spot this man on the streets!" Sam wasn't so sure, and was suspicious about the anonymous witness. Her father was smart, but not the sharpest knife in the drawer. For him to pull off something so heinous was practically unbelievable. No, she refused to believe he acted alone, if at all. Besides, what of Tyler, where was he in this whole charade?

Then it hit her, Tyler didn't _want_ to be found. The police already knew he was at large, he wouldn't them to know he performed something so terrible. Maybe she was being paranoid, but what if he was using Hector? He hated Jessica, he probably hated 'Jackie' as well and most likely know that she'd been that Jackie girl. What if Hector was just the driver of the ride that Tyler hijacked, what if Hector didn't know? Because Sam knew one thing about her father, he wouldn't let anybody kill his dear niece, or his children. He never allowed anyone to touch them except for himself, and that look on his face at the rodeo when Tyler aimed his gun at Jessica. Rage, the same rage that Sam had seen all her life. Hector didn't know anything, he couldn't know anything. Tyler _had_ to have broken him out and now he was pinning the whole thing on him. Sam sat up, ignoring her wounds, and shouted at the screen and defended her father for the first time, but to nobody other than the police officer in the room. "My dad didn't do that!" Suddenly she became aware of the pain shooting through her and screamed painfully. "Shit!" The officer ran over to her and helped her to lay down, reminding her that she needed to be more careful. All Sam could do was stare at the ceiling, thinking to herself that her father wasn't dangerous, a much more dangerous person was coming and nobody would know it.

* * *

So Sam's got a pretty good idea. Next chapter is the debut of General John Alexander Trent.


	47. Final Orders

Boarded

A/N:

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Chapter 47 (Final Orders)

"Are you shitting me?" A tall, very well built man with a buzz cut stood in front of his subordinates, his eyes narrow and hands behind his back. "I'm supposed to head home today and _you_ are telling me…" A cigar hung lazily in his mouth. He grabbed the cigar and stepped towards his subordinates, who did not display any fear. Normally with his height and his massive build, he was nearly six foot four and _did_ almost look like a bodybuilder, he was an imposing figure. Only with his subordinates, they knew and trusted him, so they had no reason to fear him. The three men looked at each other as he tapped his cigar into an ashtray on the desk near him. "I have to make a decision between blowing a house full of suicide bombers up in order to save some POW's in the basement underneath versus sacrificing two or four hostages just so I can leave a bit earlier?"

"Yes sir." The men were standing at attention, still saluting him, even though he'd already told them that he didn't require saluting.

"And there are_ family members_ of the few suicide bombers in the place? So either way, somebody innocent is going to die?" Damn, the generals always got the hard jobs. It was his job to decide whether or not to send men out there or not. Currently the decision was send his men out there and delay his flight, clearly the best choice in his mind, or have his men prepare his transportation now and not worry about the hostages. The only way his advisors could see fit was to blow the house up, which was not looking good on his agenda. He stood straight and looked his men in his eyes. "Men, I did not spend all my years in the military and be promoted to General just to let innocent lives go to waste. Do you understand!"

"Sir yes sir!" They knew what this meant. He was one of the few Generals who actually was active out on the field, countries didn't want to risk the lives of their generals, but it was always their choice whether they fought or not. "General Trent, what will you have us do?" General John Trent narrowed his eyes and turned to the window, holding his hands at his waist and tapping his cigar gently, gazing at the lands as he stood strong, brave, and proud. "Major Smithy, go grab my guns. Return in five minutes."

"Sir yes Sir!" The Major left without hesitation to the weapons unit. John moved his cigar to his lips and closed his eyes. He really didn't smoke often, maybe one or two cigars a day. Cigarettes, he never touched. The two remaining men awaited their orders. They were really the most trusted of his soldiers, he had a whole chain of command beneath them, always waiting to spring into action.

"Captain Daniels, go take five of our men and prepare my transport. I want to see my daughter _today or tomorrow._" He

"Yes sir!" The Captain ran to follow his orders, he knew to make sure they were not five of the _best_ men, because he knew his General well, and his General was about to need the five best men. Now, the highest rank of his men, the Colonel. His most trusted subordinate.

"Colonel Montana, you will grab five of our best men and tell them to be here and ready in ten." The Colonel saluted his general and ran to follow his orders while the General assessed the situation. Sighing, he put the cigar out in the ashtray and continued his gaze outside. He barely moved when the Colonel and Major ran back in, wielding appropriate weapons and five of their best men. Every man saluted as John turned around and looked them in the eyes.

"All right men, in .5 miles from this location there is a house that holds two suicide bombers and about eight gunmen. In the basement of this house are three prisoners of war, _three of our men_ held hostage! Now, some of our men have staked out this location to be blown apart, but these bombs are _not_ to go off, as there are innocents in that building." The men remained with their eyes ahead as their leader paced around them, his hands clasped together behind his back. He stopped directly behind one of the men and put his foot down, the soldier did not flinch. This was good, he trained his men very well. "There are men and women. This is a trap, you must understand, but I will not let my men fall victim to slander. We will _not_ be held responsible for any innocent lives, do I make myself _clear?_"

"Sir yes sir!"

"Now! We will not rush the place, we do not want to be spotted. If we are spotted, then we are as good as dead! Normal people will run away _screaming_ with what we are about to do, there are even new soldiers who will shake and tremble with what we are about to do, but a good soldier is not afraid. I have trained every one of my men to be fearless. Now tell me, are you afraid!" The men looked at each other with only their eyes and the General shouted a little louder. "Are you afraid?"

"No sir!"

"ARE you pansies lying around in a field of flowers, afraid of the one little mosquito that comes to annoy your arm?"

"No sir!"

"Are you fearless lions, ready to pounce upon anyone and anything that threatens your dominion?"

"Sir yes sir!"

"Then you _will_ follow my orders, I will not tolerate _any_ failure! This will be your last mission, when I leave you will be under command of Colonel Montana, my most trusted subordinate. You _will_ follow his orders and you _will_ make your Colonel proud. Do I make myself clear?"

"Sir yes sir!" He paced around them and stepped in front, looking each in the eyes once more.

"When we arrive on location, I will stake two of you as my snipers. We are to remain in constant communication, if you are asked a question, you _will_ respond!"

"Affirmative!"

"Two men will be on ground, to ensure that any and all hostiles have been sniped, if not, you will be ordered to take them out at all costs! Do not show any mercy! We are like family, and you do not fuck with family, do I make myself _clear?_ They have three of our family, our _brothers_. You will treat this situation as though they have your brothers, your fathers, your children, am I clear? You will not leave any stone unturned! Do I make myself clear!"

"Sir yes sir!"

"One of you, Major Smithy and Colonel Montana will go in the danger zone with me. Major Smithy, you are to enter through a different location with your enlisted, seek out the two identified bombers and take them out as quietly as possible, am I understood?"

"Yes sir."

"Colonel, you are to remain at my side. Today, none of us will die, am I clear?"

"Yes sir!"

"Snipers, your orders are to stay at location, even when all hostiles outside are gone, you are to keep watch! If any of them alert allies, you are to shoot on sight. The two men stationed outside, one of you is to remain outside and the other is to enter after it is clear! Are the orders clear?" No holds barred, they were to understand their orders and ask no questions. This was the way they were trained, brought up to be the best they could possibly be. They made their leaders proud every day. John cracked his neck side to side and held his hand out, pulling two fingers inward. "Sergeant Barracks and Corporal Withers, step forward." They stepped forward and held their salute. They were also the best foot soldiers in his division. "You are to remain on foot outside of the location, taking out any hostile out of the eyes of our hawk and eagle. Corporal Withers, when it is clear, you are to remain outside and Sergeant Barracks, you will enter the location…do you understand your orders?"

"Sir yes sir!"

"Good. Now grab your weapons and stand next to the door." They did as told while John continued to bark out his orders. "Private Jones, you are to enter with Major Smithy through the back end once the ground has been cleared."

"Sir yes sir!" John nodded his head to the Sergeant and Corporal, which the Private understood to mean he'd better grab his weapon and wait next to them. He did as such, without haste. The two remaining enlisted were the SPCs, or Specialists.

"SPC Grant and SPC Atkins, you two will be the snipers." Of all the enlisted soldiers under John's command, these two were the best snipers in the business. He taught them himself, not letting anybody else train them, for he was an almost perfect shot with a sniper. There had only been one other sniper under his chain of command that he taught, but that man had been shot in the leg, developed a limp, and could no longer serve. It was troubling for John, but he had even still been considering rejecting him, due to his lack of empathy and willingness to sacrifice innocent lives. "Grab your snipers and go. When we are on location, I will tell you where to stand. You will be the first to act, clear the back end first!"

"Sir yes sir!" John turned to his Major and Colonel, the two highest ranked of all his men. He had several enlisted under him, but no more than one that ranked as a Captain, Major, or Colonel. Hence, these three were his closest and most trusted men. Major Smithy and Colonel Montana held their salutes, ready to dive into action.

"Major Smithy, do you understand why I have chosen you to do the task assigned to you?"

"Because you have trained me best for this type of job, sir?"

"Yes. That, and..." John closed his eyes and breathed in. He knew Major Dale Smithy could handle this, he believed in all of his men, but none were so great at attacking from the shadows as this man was. "The job that has been given to you is the hardest job. You know you must go in, remain as quiet as possible and as hidden as possible, bypass every hostile you see until you find each of the suicide bombers, and you cannot let them detect you. You know that if they detect you, they are more than willing to blow themselves up in order to take you out. If this happens, our whole operation goes up, quite literally, in smoke. You know that you cannot allow this to happen. The reason I have given you such a hard task is because, like I do with all my soldiers, I believe in you. Only so few I have singlehandedly trained, every soldier in this room, I have trained with my own hand, minus Colonel Montana, and I know beyond a shadow of a doubt, that you are best equipped for this task."

"Thank you sir, I will not fail you, sir!"

"I know you won't. Now grab your weapon and line up!" Dale nodded and did as instructed, pride beaming inside of him. Now, it was Colonel George Montana, awaiting his instruction. John turned to him and nodded, smiling his first smile of the day.

"George, you are my closest friend on the battlefield, we have been through much together." George smiled at this and slowly nodded his head, he knew he was okay to lower his salute, so he did. "You have my highest respect, my highest trust, and I am honored to have fought beside you all these years. Today, I leave to take care of my daughter, my nieces, my family, and I leave you in charge of all the troops under my command. They look up to you just the same, and I believe that you will train them and command them just as I have. I am proud to call you my brother in arms, and when we leave here today, after this final mission, I will leave here proudest of you."

"Thank you sir." George knew he couldn't let anything go wrong with this final mission. He knew that he was next to the General because he needed to, above all, protect his life. Like John, he was best suited for close combat. He would not fail this mission. He grabbed his AK-47, and ran to the front of the line. The General walked in front of them, grabbing an AK-47, and opened the door. "All right Men, you have your orders! Let's go! Do _not_ give in and do _not_ back down! I believe in every one of you, and today, you will make me proud."

"SIR YES SIR!"

The men made a run to the jeep and drove the distance to the location, making sure not to be spotted as they began to set up their locations. SPC Grant and SPC Atkins grabbed their snipers and positioned themselves on hills overlooking the small hut. Private Jones and Major Smithy positioned themselves behind the trees in the back of the house, overlooking the back door. Sergeant Barracks and Corporal Withers positioned themselves at the sides of the house while John and George waited a ways from the front. Each of them were equipped with everything they needed for this battle. John lifted his radio to the mouth and spoke into it. "Is everyone in position? Major, how does it look on your end?"

Major Smithy surveyed his surroundings with his eyes and narrowed them. All was clear, minus the one man having a smoke at the back door. He appeared to be reloading a pistol. "There is one hostile smoking a cigarette, he is armed with a handgun."

"Copy that." John narrowed his eyes and stared at the front. "There are two men having a conversation out front." SPC Atkins was the sniper positioned at the hill facing the front left corner of the building. "SPC Atkins, do not fire upon these men. Their conversation appears to be ending, they should be scaling the grounds. When they walk away, then take fire."

"Roger that."

"Corporal Withers, Sergeant Barracks, how do things look on the sides?"

"All clear on the left side, General!"

"Roger that Sergeant. How about you, Corporal?"

"It's all clear on the right."

"Roger. SPC Grant, your orders are to take out the enemy hostile smoking his cigarette. Do not kill, I repeat, do not kill. Simply, put him out of commission."

"I understand, General." He wanted to avoid making it look like they're slaughtering the enemy, so he did not wish to kill them unless they fought back. It would be the hostiles inside the house that would most likely die. Then again, he also understood there really wasn't much choice in the matter. He closed his eyes and spoke quietly into the radio.

"Scratch that. We do not need them to call for help. If you must shoot, shoot to kill." The men understood the order and knew how much trouble it caused him to have to give that order, but this _was_ an important mission to them all. "Okay men, spring to action."

Major Smithy and Private Jones were the first to be ready. The man reloading his pistol spotted them as they purposely moved towards him. He pointed his gun at them and started to say something, but before he opened his mouth, SPC Grant shot him between the eyes. The back entrance was now clear. They carefully opened the door, staying out of sight, and peered in. All was clear on the inside. Smithy brought the radio to his mouth and whispered. "Smithy and Jones are in, I repeat, we are in."

Next was SPC Atkins as he watched the two men in the front have their little chat about god only knew what. He narrowed his eyes as he hung his aim for their heads. He could take the shot and the bullet would pass through both of them at once, but he knew better than to disobey his General's orders. For as good as General Trent was, he was also tough and ruthless, one force you did not want to mess with. If he was angered, he was a one man army. The two men separated, one rounding the opposite corners, one went around the right to where Corporal Withers was hiding while the other rounded the left. He took the opportunity and shot the man on the left right behind the ear. "SPC Atkins reporting in, I have disabled my target. The other is yours, Corporal."

"Roger that Atkins." Corporal Withers hid in the bushes, watching his target closely. They knew there were only three men outside, two were now dead, leaving this guy as the last. He heard the Major's voice over the radio, declaring that the first suicide bomber had been taken out. More good news. Then there were six men left inside, which included the final bomber. Sergeant Barracks was on the move, he needed to meet up with the Corporal. The enemy hostile clicked his gun and pointed it at the Corporal.

"Move, American scum…Get up…" Corporal Withers stood from his hiding spot, surprised to have been seen, and raised his hands into the air. He smirked as the man glared at him, recognizing the rank on his uniform. "You are nothing but a pathetic Corporal. Are you working alone, or is your commanding officer nearby?"

"I am not working alone."

"Then where is your commanding officer?" Sergeant Barracks stepped behind the man and narrowed his eyes, turning his gun around.

"Well, you see, I'm just the second lowest rank here. So, which of my commanding officers do you want? The highest grade, or the lowest?"

"All of them. Slime." The man spoke so lowly and with such disrespect and disregard, his voice laced with malice. The Corporal held a witty smirk as Sergeant Barracks raised his gun up, aiming the butt of the rifle to the back of the man's head.

"Well okay, my highest commanding officer is somewhere around here, not exactly sure where." The man narrowed his eyes as Withers noticed the Sergeant nodding his head. "While the _enlisted_ above me, who I still have to listen to, is standing right behind you."

"What?" The man turned around just in time for Barracks to slam the butt of the gun into his head, busting his nose and bruising his forehead. The man fell to the ground, unconscious, and Withers spoke into his radio. If the General wasn't so serious, he might just be cracking up due to what just went down.

"It's all clear on the outside." This meant it was now time for the General and Colonel to make their way into the front. Sergeant Barracks pointed at the man on the ground and looked into the Corporal's eyes.

"Corporal, keep watch over this man. If he wakes up and attempts to call for backup or fight, then kill him. One shot, no overkill, do you understand?"

"Yes sir." He saluted as the Sergeant ran around the building and entered with the two commanding officers. They were just in time to hear the Major report the second bomber was now decommissioned, along with one gunman that had been in the same room. Unfortunately, Private Jones acknowledged to have slipped up, making a mistake that General Trent could still forgive. He attempted to kill one of the gunmen, but the man did not die and alerted others, calling for backup. Thus, unsurprisingly, enemy hostiles were waiting for the General when they entered.

Upon entering, the Colonel and General opened fire upon the enemy, who opened fire as well. The three men made sure to run for cover and protect themselves while shooting down the enemy. They listened as the others outside reported oncoming troops. The two SPCs were currently having a field day while the Corporal handled anybody they couldn't take out. The General ordered Sergeant Barracks down to the basement, so he tore through the building, making sure to find the basement along with Private Jones. Major Smithy made his way to the General and the three men raised their guns to the door while the General decided to watch the back.

Then it began, hostiles began pouring in from the front and back. The Major and Colonel opened fire, letting none of the enemy enter the front. The General took on a much more hands on approach, knifing several enemy and throwing many to the side. Whenever he punched someone, he sent them flying. A simple punch to their chest, if skinny enough, was powerful enough to kill them.

"Throughout my years on the force…" He breathed in and smirked as sweat dripped from his face and drenched his uniform. He was barely even panting. "I've been known as the best hand to hand fighter around. You punks have nothing on me." John crashed his elbow into one of the hostile forces, then kicked another in the jaw, crushing it. He swerved around one enemy and clasped his hands together, slamming them down onto the enemy's head and crushing his skull.

Finally, after nearly twenty minutes of fighting, the ground was littered with the bodies of the enemy. The SPCs and Corporal were happy to report that all opposing forces on the outside were either disabled or withdrawing, realizing this battle had been lost. There were no more to enter the building. Private Jones and Sergeant Barracks were eager to report that they retrieved the hostages without any problem. Colonel Montana and Major Smithy turned to their General, who roughly kicked a body away from him. Blood and dirt splattered his arms, legs and chest. He picked up his AK-47 and rested it on his shoulder as his saluted him and the POWs came out from the basement with their saviors. He flipped his radio on and smirked.

"Now, to take a shower and get home to my family…Captain Daniels had better have my transport ready. This has been a long and grueling hour, and our proudest moment. Let's go, men. But remember, keep an eye open in case of ambush."

Finally back on base, General Trent stood in front of his three highest ranked officers, saluting them as they saluted him back. All other soldiers were behind them, with every one of them raising their arms in salute and holding their chests out proudly. "Men, it has been an honor to fight alongside each and every one of you. I am both thankful and proud to have been your leader through all of this. Continue to make me proud, continue to train, learn, and grow together not just as soldiers, but brothers and sisters in arms! Colonel Montana…" George stepped forward as John held his hand out. George grabbed his hand firmly and looked sharply into his eyes.

"It's been an honor, General. John. We will not fail you."

"I trust not."

"Take care of your family when you get back home, lord knows they need you more than we do right now. We will always hold highest reverence for you. Have a safe trip." George pulled back and lifted his hand in salute. John smiled, stood at attention, and saluted.

"They're all yours, Colonel." With that, he turned and left them, thinking only of his daughter, his nieces, and most importantly, his beautiful wife. He couldn't wait to get back to them, each of them waiting for him with open arms. "Look out, I'm coming back home."

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Hope you enjoyed this very action packed chapter. The General is a very tough man, but a family man nonetheless.


	48. A Father's Protection

Boarded

A/N:

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Chapter 48 (A Father's Protection)

Janet, Pam, and the girls all waited at the airport for John, each of them holding different levels of excitement, each of them anticipating the arrival of this man. Sam felt for sure her uncle would make things all better, because that was just like him, he never let problems stay problems for very long. Janet and Pam were sitting in the waiting area of the terminal, chatting amongst themselves while Sam and Melanie played some card game together. It was Jessica who was off doing things on her own, trying to distract herself. She couldn't help herself at all, her father was coming home after so long! Hell, practically the entire terminal knew by now that General John Alexander Trent was on his way there. Hell, she practically had everyone ready to stand and salute him when he got off with all his luggage. She wasn't being annoying or childish about it, nor was she acting all 'princess' about everything, she was just naturally excited and had told one or two people that her dad was coming home after nearly ten years. When asked, she told who he was, and they told the person next to them, who then proceeded to continue the chain, and soon everybody knew.

None of the guys could be there, they all had other things they were dealing with at the time. Each of them would have liked to have been there to greet the infamous relative of their respective girlfriend, although Jeremy and Jessica were not yet dating, so they couldn't call each other that. Jessica was currently getting a bottle of water from the vending machine and keeping one eye on the exit. She knew her dad would probably be coming from a very long trip, but that wouldn't stop her from running after him.

Just as the machine popped out the bottle of water, she spotted him walking from the terminal, dressed in his military uniform and hat. "Daddy!" He looked over at her and smiled as she forgot about her water and ran towards him. Sam and Melanie practically dropped their cards and leapt up from their seats, the mothers did the same. John laughed and extended his arms as Jessica crashed joyfully into his chest, crying tears of excitement. He'd seen pictures of her growing up throughout the years, but this was the first time in ten years that he saw her in person, and he was extremely grateful for it. Jessica sighed contently and snuggled close. "You're home, Daddy. You're home. I've missed you _so, so_ much!"

"I know, I've missed you all too." All of the military people in the area stood up and saluted him. While unnecessary, they still felt it was polite and their duty to do so. He chuckled nervously and held up his hand. "At ease, sit back down." He just wanted to be with his family and didn't need any sort of publicity. His family surrounded him and hugged him, then stepped back to let him be with Janet.

"I've missed you, John." She smiled at him and lightly kissed his lips. He closed his eyes and hummed. The feel of her kiss was like honey to him, so beautiful and so dearly missed. He missed her far too much.

"You know it's been too long when you have to rely on the memory of a kiss to get you by. God, the real thing is sweeter than anything in this world." She grinned and hugged him. He had a bit more muscles than she remembered, but that was fine with her. "Feels so good to be with family again."

"When we get home, how about I make you a nice peach pie?" She knew he loved her pies, that was something she would always remember. He smiled and his eyes brightened, one of her pies was just the thing to really get to him. "I just wonder, what made you request earlier leave?"

"My family needed me, my little girl needed me." Jessica blushed and Janet's smile could only grow. She didn't care what it was, the fact that he was home earlier was perhaps the greatest gift she could ever ask for. He looked at Jessica, proud of how she had grown. He felt horrible that he missed so damn much of their lives, but he was thankful to have fought for their freedom and right to live. Now, he just wanted to rest. "Now. Where's that little Elliot kid?" He smirked and folded his arms over his chest while the others exchanged various glances. "I need to whip him into shape."

"Jeremy's with his family, Dad! It's amazing!" John felt a sense of pride wash over him. He'd always hoped Jeremy and his brother would be back with their mother, she was the better parent as it was. "He's happier now, away from his father."

"Yeah, but after that letter…what happened at the rodeo with Hector and Tyler…" He always pitied his brother in law, felt a desire to take that angry soul and put it to good use. It was never good to use violence, especially against women and children, so why not put it to good use and use strength in the military? Of course, they could never use a guy like him, but with as strong as Jessica always said Jeremy was, they _could_ use a guy like him. Janet released a heavy sigh and looked into her husband's eyes, he could see the anxiety. Jessica was a lot like her mother, it was becoming harder and harder for people to notice the anxiety, the fear, and other emotions they felt, but it was people like John and Jeremy who knew exactly how to read them like an open book. The women could never figure out why that was. "What is it, Janet?"

"It's just, the time you came here couldn't be any better." He lifted his eyebrows as everybody looked around with absent glances and gestures. "There's so much going on, too much going on…I'm afraid for my family, John."

"It's okay Janet, I promise you, I won't let _anybody_ hurt our family. Protecting you is always the first thing on my mind, so when Jessica wrote that letter about the rodeo, I _knew_ I needed to get home sooner. I would have been here a day ago, but we had one last mission to take care of."

"You should tell us all about it over dinner, but first, I think everyone would like to go home. I know you probably do."

"Hell yeah, and I would love to have one of your world famous pies." He smirked, causing Janet's face to become even redder. He looked to the twins and smiled to them, proud as well to see just how well they'd grown over the years. Pam even had a smile on her face, one he couldn't even _remember_ seeing, thanks to Hector's violent ways. Now he wanted to see what Jeremy looked like all grown up. Jessica commented on how he played baseball, so he knew Jeremy was probably thin. She said he was strong, so he must also have a relatively good build. Oddly, she had painted a very descript image of him, which she hadn't done with anyone else, so it wasn't hard for him to figure out that she liked him. Hell, Daddy's little girl still went to him for the majority of advice, sending him all the personal questions, so in truth, he knew exactly who she was falling for. He smirked at her and met her eyes. Her eyes widened, she had a pretty good feeling what he was thinking. "I can't wait to see Jeremy again, we are going to have so much to talk about."

"Dad. Go _easy_ on him, okay?"

"Please, I'm not going to treat him any differently than I treat my soldiers. We were like family over there." Nobody was really sure if this was a _good_ thing, because they knew he had a reputation for being tough as nails. Jessica slowly licked her lower lip and thought about her father meeting with Jeremy.

"Yeah, I'd better be there."

At home, after dinner was over, Janet and John were nestled in the main bedroom. She was cuddling next to him and had her hand on his shirtless chest, overcome with how macho and manly he was. Now she knew what Jessica meant whenever the girl told her about how she would melt in Jeremy's arms and couldn't get over how manly _he'd_ become. "Jessica's had it rough since we got here, you know. With that stalker and all…"

"I know. You said Sam nearly _died_ because of him?"

"We think so…" He narrowed his eyes and his lips formed a scowl. Sam was completely fine, now. All that remained were two scars on her body, scars that she would never forget. It did make her a bit self conscious. She'd always been wanting to save her body and wait until marriage, which she hoped was with Gibby, but now she was afraid to show even him her body because of the scars. "It's not been proven, but we think so because the same person attacked Jeremy and failed…both of them had confronted Jessica's stalker and basically told him to back off."

"Not entirely the best move to make. I am glad that they're doing better."

"Much better…" She closed her eyes and cuddled even closer to him, he felt so warm and so perfect. "We're trying to get a restraining order against him, he just seems to get more and more dangerous. The more people tell him to cut it out, the more he doesn't like it. He obsesses about her, thinks she's in _love_ with him."

"Well if it ever comes down to it…" His eyes widened as a noise was heard from outside the window. A rustling sound. He jumped up and Janet quickly sat upright, a worried expression on her face.

"What is it, John?"

"Shh." He narrowed his eyes and stared at the window, somebody was outside his house. Jessica was taking a shower, but the water ended a while ago, so she was probably getting dressed. If that kid was outside her window, he'd better look out, her father was back in town. He pulled his jeans on and fastened them while moving to the window. He unlocked it and quietly opened it, then peered outside. He looked to his left, and there was Lenny, standing outside Jessica's window, watching.

"John?" John growled, rage flooding his veins as he gripped the windowsill and leapt wildly out the window. Janet's eyes widened and she jumped out of the bed, grabbing her gown and holding it to her chest as she ran to the window.

"Hey kid!" Lenny looked over and his eyes widened when he saw Jessica's father. He'd not seen him before, not even known he was back from the army, and _shit_ he looked like a fucking mountain! Thinking fast, he turned around and ran from the window, but John was faster. He ran after Lenny, chasing him down the street and jumping over the trashcans that Lenny was knocking in his path.

It was not long before John caught up with him and tackled him to the ground, pinning his arms and straddling him. He gripped Lenny's shirt and jammed his finger in the boy's frightened face. "I bet you didn't expect her father to be back so soon, huh _pervert_? Guess what, I've torn men twice your side in half with my bare hands. I'm going to cut you some slack, but here's my order and I expect you to follow it."

"Please let me go sir, you don't understand, we love each other."

"The fuck you do! You are not permitted to come anywhere within one hundred feet of my daughter as of right now. If I catch even a _glimpse_ from you, I'm going to make sure you endure _hell_. You don't look like you could last a second in 'Trent's Boot Camp' as I like to call it. In fact, I want you to give me _five_, that's right, just _five_ pushups right now! You don't look like you could do two. You're a scrawny, pathetic little ass whom I bet only gets a single can of tuna a day. You're a pansy ass little motherfucker, aren't you?"

"Please stop yelling at me, sir!"

"I'm sorry, what was that? I don't take attention to little mamas boys!" He got up and yanked Lenny to his feet. Narrowing his eyes, he glared furiously into the man's eyes. "I want you to jog on the spot, do it now!" Lenny looked at him with disbelief. Was he seriously asking this? "Do I look like I am _joking? _This is no mama's little tea party, we are not here to _chat_ over _tea!_ If you think you are worth anything to my daughter, you'd better _show_ me what you are worth soldier!"

"Okay, okay!" Lenny began to jog while John put his hands behind his back and spread his feet apart. His jogging wasn't very good at all, it was laughable!

"Who taught you to run, boy? You run like a sissy! Are you a sissy?"

"Quit that!"

"Do not backtalk _me_, boy!" John smacked him across the face and Lenny was immediately sent to the ground, rubbing his face in extreme pain. "Get up, soldier! You are not worth the blood your momma lost giving birth to you! You are not worth the ground that you bleed upon, and you are most _certainly_ not worth the ground that my little angel walks upon. Now give me those pushups!"

"Fine!"

"What was that?"

"I said-"

"What did you say to me, soldier?" He was right up in Lenny's face, shouting him and attacking him with verbal abuse after abuse. He picked the _wrong_ girl to stalk. One does not stalk the daughter of General Trent and go home feeling secure about themselves.

"Sir yes sir!" Lenny flipped onto his hands and feet, tears escaping his eyes as he slowly, painfully attempted his first pushup. John rolled his eyes as Lenny's knees fell to the ground.

"Pathetic! You can't even do a _single_ pushup! Have you not worked out a day in your life?"

"I am sorry sir!"

"Do not give me that bullshit!" John slammed his foot into Lenny's back, sending him crashing into the ground. Lenny moaned as John bent over him, staying mere inches from him. "You _will_ stay away from my daughter, my family, and anyone associated with us. Do I make myself clear? You think you can push us around, you think you can freely attack whoever you please, but I warn you. Your luck _just_ ran out." Lenny closed his eyes, he was sure he was bleeding_ somewhere_, but not entirely sure where. "You've injured my niece, you've stricken my daughter and my wife with fear, you've tried to kill a close family friend…You are nothing. Do you hear me? You are absolutely _nothing_. You do not _exist_ in my world, in my daughter's world, in anybody's world. You are a mere gas, only to be blown away by the wind." Lenny clenched his teeth painfully as the tears ran down his face. "I am your worst nightmare, Lenny. _I_ am going to be the ghost that haunts you in your sleep if you do not follow my orders. Stay _away_ from my daughter. Any attempt you make on my life will fail miserably. Any attempt you make on my family will also fail. If you continue to persist, you will fail miserably. Now, get out of my sight, you worthless…sniveling, sack of shit. You're not even _worth_ the air my beautiful daughter breathes."

"P-Please."

"I said _go!_"

"But I've…had an accident…" He defecated himself out of fear, never before had he experienced something like this. John closed his eyes and exhaled as he stood up straight.

"I don't care. You will leave my presence now." Lenny nodded and quickly pushed himself up and ran off. John dusted himself off and walked back home, where he saw his wife and daughter huddled in the doorway, watching him anxiously.

"What was that, Daddy? What happened?" John smiled and kissed her forehead.

"It is nothing to worry about, the problem has been dealt with. Let's go to bed now, okay?"

"Okay. I love you dad."

"I love you too sweetheart." They walked into the house and locked the doors. They were sure to shut all curtains on all the windows and did stay up just a little later in order to distress and have some hot soup. John didn't want to worry them, and they honestly weren't bothered by how he dealt with things. They knew how he was, he didn't let _anybody_ terrorize his family.

* * *

Scarier than Jeremy's protection, that's for sure. It isn't the last trouble Lenny's going to see, and do you think a stalker's really going to give up? There's still one more person to try and scare him, next chapter "A Father's Wrath". Now you just think about who that might be, and then you'll know who is going after Lenny. What father is left that really would give a damn? Dun Dun Dun. I guess the Father's Day arc _sort of_ starts with this chapter, or the last chapter...or hell, "A True Sadist", as we're seeing a lot about fathers.


	49. A Father's Wrath

Boarded

A/N:

* * *

Chapter 49 (A Father's Wrath)

Hector and Tyler were staying in an old abandoned home on the edge of Seattle. Hector had not seen the news reports, nor did he know very much of the outside world. All he knew and felt was that he and Tyler were wanted criminals. It was more Tyler that kept up with the important stuff and told him what was going on. Tyler was a very prideful, arrogant man, while Hector was more a wrathful person. They knew which of the seven deadly sins they were, and they were perfectly happy with it.

"Hey Tyler, you want a beer?" Hector was standing at the fridge, which oddly enough, actually worked. They broke into a gas station one night and took the beer, nobody even figured it out. Tyler shrugged and Hector pulled two bottles out. He tossed one over to Tyler, who grabbed it and instantly took the cap off. Tyler stared at his left leg, his 'bum' leg, and groaned. He lifted his bottle to his lips and began drinking. "So you never told me about your days in the army, how was that like?"

"It was fine, though my commanding officer never got the point of my ways." He slowly stood up and walked over to a counter, he had a very slight limp, almost unnoticeable. "I got shot in the leg, so what? It just gave my commander more of an excuse to get rid of me, he shouldn't have, I was the best damn sniper there." Hector shrugged and took a seat on the couch, he felt bad for Tyler having to leave the military in such a pitiful way. "Wouldn't mind shooting the asshole and fucking his entire family over with a pitchfork."

"You know man, sometimes you sound like Satan himself." Hector took a swig of his beer as Tyler raised his eyebrow and looked to him through the corner of his eyes. Sure he could be pretty demonic, and sure he was a bit lacking in empathy for anyone or anything, but _Satan_? Where would Hector possibly get that from? "I mean just think of the things you want to do, you live your life off of the pleasure you derive from the sufferings of your victims, having no guilt or remorse whatsoever. You don't care about anybody's feelings…I mean you have to be a pretty fucked up person to get where you're at right now. You don't even care about your own family."

"Why should I give a fuck about anyone other than myself?" He sneered as he glared at the bottle in his hand. He never had a mother or a father, never had a family, he was born unhappy. He was born mentally fucked up. The earliest memory he had was of his mother blowing his father's brains out, blood splattering everywhere. He was just two years old. Next thing he knew, she killed herself. She was insane, evidently. It was that same insanity that passed onto him. He had odd hobbies growing up, hobbies that created ridicule from all the other kids. He liked to 'experiment' with the other kids, mainly the girls. That was just one thing, and it caused him to get beat up regularly.

"What kind of person were you growing up?"

"That is none of your business…" Sadist. He was labeled that and called that all through his life. Devil. He was a murderer, a theif, a rapist, a child molester, he was one of the most dangerous types of men alive. No one was safe from him, no man, woman, nor child. He wanted to change the subject, and fast, before eventually Hector pissed him off. He still had use for this man. He could get close to Jessica, close to the others. "I feel I should tell you something, Hector."

"What?" Hector was very relaxed in this moment, which was odd, since normally he was always so tense.

"Your daughter was in the hospital recently."

"What?" His eyes widened and he sat up, concern rising inside of him. "What do you mean? What happened?"

"Evidently some kid, Lenny Siball, has been stalking your niece, Jessica. He's attacked Sam and two metal poles from her bike shot through her." Hector's eyes lit up with fire and his blood began to boil inside his body. Somebody could have _killed_ his daughter? Someone was stalking his niece? He wouldn't stand for this! "You probably know where the kid is, right?"

"Fuck yes I do!" Hector rose violently from his seat, grasping his beer tightly. His hand became tighter until the bottle began to crack and beer started streaming along his hand. Tyler raised his eyebrows and stared at the bottle, slowly whistling through his lips.

"Um dude…your beer…"

"Nobody lays a hand on either my daughter or my niece!" Hector threw his bottle across the room. Tyler winced as it shattered against the wall and liquid was sent flying in every direction. A great waste of beer. God he wanted to be alone, perhaps Hector's rage would take him away for a while.

"What are you going to do now?"

"I'm going to fucking murder the bastard!" Tyler hummed and took a drink of his beer as Hector stormed out of the door. The oaf had better be careful not to get caught, else he might have to break him out _again._ He sighed and stared at his beer. Hector might not like what he had planned for his niece, but the man was incredibly disposable, but only after the right time. As long as Hector didn't do anything stupid to cause himself to need to be bailed out yet again, Tyler would be fine with him. Besides, he was far too stupid to figure out that he was being used.

Like a tornado, Hector tore through the streets, his anger and animosity on the continual rise. He would make this kid pay dearly. He found Lenny's home and snuck around front, the living room lights were on. It looked like it was just the mother that was awake. "Fuck with my family, I fuck up your family."

He kicked the door and it swung open. He panted as he entered the house, growling and seething. The mother turned from the kitchen counter she'd been cleaning and gasped when she saw his wrathful eyes. "Lady, do you know what your son has been up to?"

"Who are you?"

"I _said_, do you _know_ what your son's been up to! Stalking my niece, trying to kill my daughter. Somebody has to pay for this travesty!" He roared and charged her, grabbing for her throat. She screamed and jumped to the side, letting him fall forward and place his hand on the burning stove. He yelled in pain and pulled his hand off. "What the _hell_ can you be cooking at this time of night?"

"I left it on, that's all!" Hector growled and opened the knife drawer, much to the woman's fear. She slowly walked backwards, pleading with him. He was no sadist, though. He didn't derive pleasure from this, and he was not as violent or extreme as Tyler was. He was, however, capable of murder. "Please, my son would never-" She gasped and her hands shook in place as her eyes slowly trailed down. The knife was piercing her chest, cutting deep into her heart. Hector narrowed his eyes and growled venomously.

"This is the message I'm sending your son. He screws with my family, and he loses his. My wrath is greater than the wrath of anyone. My wrath is the wrath of a father!" Her eyes rolled to the back of her head as slumped to the ground, her blood flowing onto the floor. She wasn't innocent, not in his eyes. It was the parents' responsibility to raise their children right, and the fact that they let their child grow to be a stalker at the age of eighteen meant they must pay the penalty for his sin.

"Mommy?" Hector swirled around and his eyes widened, it was a little seven year old girl. She was rubbing her eyes and perhaps wanted to get a glass of milk. "Mommy get up, why are you spilling red? Please get up mommy, I want some water. Mommy!" Hector closed his eyes and started opening the cabinets. He listened to the girl as her voice increased to panic and she began shaking her mother's body.

His mind flashed back to when he would beat Pam and she'd lay unconscious on the floor, Sam and Melanie would shake her and cry for her. He pressed his lips together and grabbed a glass, then filled it with water from the sink. He used to smack them with a newspaper, or a braided leather belt, at least until they stopped crying and let their mother wake up. Perhaps they really didn't deserve it, but he honestly thought his actions would help them grow stronger, help them learn to stick up for themselves. Could they honestly say that they weren't strong now?

He handed the glass of water to the little girl and met her eyes, she was more confused by the second and tears were streaking her eyes. "Mommy won't wake up, Mister. Why won't mommy wake up?"

"I'm sorry, but mommy and daddy are going away for a while…"

"What? I don't…"

"Take this glass and go to your backyard. Wait there for your brother, do you understand me?" The girl took the glass of water and ran off, unsure of what was happening or who the man was. Hector wiped his eyes and let out a frustrated growl. This guy had a kid sister? What the hell was this idiot doing? That little girl didn't need to see what was happening, she didn't need to see her parents die. They deserved death in his eyes and would serve as the price Lenny must pay for nearly killing Sam, but that little girl did not deserve to die.

He remembered some nights when he would be so drunk, so angry, so violent, he would send Sam and Melanie to the back yard while he beat their mother. They were always told to wait, to wait until someone arrived for them. They quickly learned to obey those orders. Like the little girl, they did not need to see their mother beaten down. They wondered why it was, whenever Jessica visited, he treated her like royalty. He never hit her, he never hit their Aunt Janet either.

Hector moaned as he stormed through the house, shattering whatever he saw that he could break, making this look like a robbery. He managed to make it to the master bedroom, where he saw the father sound asleep, pity the noise did not wake him. He pressed his lips tightly together and walked next to the man, he was on his back. This made it easier for him. He lifted his hands up, pointing the blade down, then slammed it into the man's heart. The man's eyes shot open and his mouth opened wide, sucking in a sharp amount of air.

"This is for my family that your son has decided to stalk. Perhaps he will learn his lesson after this."

"What are you doing to my uncle?" A voice startled Hector, so much so that he yelled and threw the knife at the person in reflex. The boy gasped and Hector's confusion soon cleared. He cupped his hand over his mouth when he realized that he'd just taken an innocent victim. Nevel Papperman stood, his eyes wide and pajamas now soaked with the blood dripping from his throat. Nevel grabbed his neck and ran from the bedroom, gasping for air, but unable to scream or make any sound.

"Wait!" Hector ran after him. His anger, his wrath, it always led to something like this happening. Innocent people often always got hurt. Nevel tore the knife from his throat and started to stumble, his skin becoming very pale. He tripped over an end table and fell onto a couch, his blood drenched the cushions and the floor. "Shit!" Hector threw his hands into his hair and roared. "Fuck!" He had to act fast now, there was nothing else he could do for the bodies except leave them there. There was only one thing left to do, now he just had to forget that he just killed an innocent teen who must have been sleeping over for the night. It wasn't like Nevel was completely innocent, the apple did not fall far from the tree, nor did it differ from others. He knew Nevel had been obsessed with Carly Shay at one point of time. Maybe that would justify his death.

Right, justify it like every blow that his ex-wife and children received by his hands was. Yeah right, he was so screwed if Tyler caught wind of this, but perhaps not. Either way, it was back to work.

Lenny entered through the front door cautiously, as it had been jarred open. "Mom? I'm home?" It was so weird, this feeling he got in the pit of his stomach. Then it hit him, the stench. The stench of blood. His eyes fell to the couch and his eyes widened, his cousin was on the couch, his throat slit and a knife in his hand. "No! Nevel!" He ran with haste to Nevel and started shaking him, staring into his cousin's dead eyes. "Nevel!"

Lenny's hands were now covered in his cousin's blood, it made him gag. He clenched his eyes shut and took a step back, unable to believe what had happened. It _looked_ like his cousin took his own life. Looking towards the kitchen, he saw his mother lying in a pool of blood. He paled and shook his head, his body trembling. "MOM!" He leapt over the couch and ran to his mother, lifting her cold body in his hands and screaming out his sobs. "Mom! Oh god, mom! Shit! Mom!"

Then it hit him, where was his father? He slowly stood up, his eyes wide and near lifeless. His father couldn't be dead. "Dad? Dad where are you?" His dad wasn't exactly the best father, but still a father nonetheless. Slowly he walked through his house, finally coming to the master bedroom. He flipped the light switch on and saw a ghastly sight. "Dad!"

He fell to his knees and the bitter tears that stung his cheeks now dripped dangerously past his chin. He clenched his teeth as his stomach knotted up. Blood was all over the bed and walls, as if it spurt out from his father's body. The peach colored carpet was stained red. His stomach jumped and he quickly ran to the bathroom, falling to the toilet and hovering over it just as the vomit shot past his throat and out of his mouth.

He moaned and curled up on the floor, holding himself and shaking like mad. Was this his fault? It couldn't be, he hadn't _done_ anything! Maybe if he had been here, he could have stopped whatever happened. He bawled and tried not to look out of the bathroom at the blood on the ground.

His cousin, his mother, his father, they were all dead. But wait! What about his sister! His eyes shot open and he jumped up. "Brandy? Brandy! Oh please dear god, don't let her be hurt!" He ran from the bathroom, tearing through the rooms, adrenaline rushing through him. "Brandy?" He charged into her bedroom and looked around, it was just as it was earlier, nothing. She wasn't there. He ran back into the kitchen where he noticed a note on the counter. His brow furrowed as he lifted it up and read it, his heart sinking and the sickening feeling rising back up with each word.

_"Lenny, you have brought your family's death upon yourself when you decided to stalk my niece. When you decided to try to kill my daughter. Your mother and your father have paid your price! I am terribly sorry about your cousin, however, he was in the wrong place at the wrong time. Your sister is out back, she did not need to see all this. Take this as a lesson and a warning, stay the fuck away from my daughter and my niece, or next time, it will be _you_ who is found bloody and dead. Only instead of one stab wound like your relatives have suffered, I will brutalize you. Stay the fuck away from my niece. For the price my daughter has paid, two horrible scars and nightmares she will probably have for the rest of her life, you've earned a father's wrath. Sincerely yours, Hector Puckett."_

Lenny's body tensed as he read the final words on the note. His hand crumpled and he slammed his hands against the counter. He became drenched with sweat as he screamed painfully and loudly. That name. That person. Hector Puckett. That criminal had found him and slaughtered his entire family, and it was all because of him! But wait, Hector had spared his baby sister! He left the note on the counter and ran outside, his sister was sitting on the back porch swing, swinging back and forth and staring at the stars. He smiled and he wiped the tears from his face as she turned her eyes to him.

"Brother? That strange man told me to wait for you, I don't know why, but he looked serious so I did what he said." Lenny walked to her and picked her up, holding her in his arms. She tilted her head innocently and looked into his eyes. "Why are you crying, big brother? Why are you crying?"

"Don't worry about it, and it was good of you to listen to that man. I'm not saying to listen to strangers, but…yeah…" God, how was he going to explain this to her? Maybe Jessica would have some good advice, she seemed like the motherly type. He had no idea where he was going to go tonight, but he did know he needed to call the police. He just did not want Brandy to see her parents and cousin like this, she didn't need that memory.

* * *

This was a very sad chapter to write. I mean, I feel bad for Lenny, I felt a little bad for Hector cause he does show some guilt for his past and some control over his actions (which makes him different from Tyler, who shows no remorse or control). I think it was good of him to at least let the little girl safe. This may seem like the worst thing for Lenny, but it is not the worst. It will be the worst physical, but the worst thing mentally and emotionally will come in a later chapter, "Shay's Fire".


	50. A Father's Pride

Boarded

A/N:

* * *

Chapter 50 (A Father's Pride)

"Your dad's doing what?" Jeremy asked into the phone, his voice flat and quiet. He was talking to Jessica, who had just informed him that her father was now heading his direction. Surely he wasn't about to have _the talk_ when he and Jessica weren't even together. Which baffled everyone, even when Sam of all people gave them the green light. He looked to his calendar and smiled, father's day was fast approaching and he definitely wanted to do something with David. Everyone seemed to be celebrating father's day early this year. Then again, it wasn't really so early, Father's Day was just a few days away and everybody was having a blast with their own father. Jeremy was indeed thrilled Jessica's father was home in time for that. June 19th was father's day this year, it was only June 15th.

"He's really been wanting to see you, Jeremy. I think he wants you to keep that watch, by the way." Jeremy looked to his wrist and smiled, the memory of their time at the church running vibrant through his mind. The feel of her touch still sent shivers down his spine. God he loved that touch. "He's probably going to ask why we're not dating yet?"

"What do I tell him?" Jessica frowned and slowly moved her eyes to the side. She wasn't sure _what_ to tell him, especially considering she really did want him to ask her out. It had been three months, Shane's death didn't shake her anymore and she felt she was ready to start dating. Only, she didn't want anybody other than Jeremy. Jeremy opened his mouth to say something, but spotted, through the window, a brown Cadillac pulling up to the corner. "Uh, I think your dad just got here…"

"Oh! Well do let me know how things turn out! I need to help mom iron a few suits. Call me later?"

"That, I will most _definitely_ be doing." He watched as John stepped out of the car and his eyes became wide, Mr. Trent was much _bigger _than he was. A lump formed in his throat as John closed the car door. "If I'm still alive." Jessica laughed a golden, angelic laugh, that was like music to Jeremy's ears. He always enjoyed hearing her laughter, and was more than happy to be the one to cause that joyous sound to come from her. She stopped laughing abruptly as her mom called for her.

"Oh dang, I need to go now! Bye Jeremy!"

"Bye. Oh wait, Jessica, I-" The phone clicked off and Jeremy's face became stuck in mid-sentence. It was all poor timing, but maybe there was a good reason for it. "Damn." He felt a hand on his shoulder and looked up to see his dad.

"Just missed her, didn't you, son?" Jeremy chuckled nervously as his cheeks became red. The two watched John inspect his car, making sure everything was okay. "So, is that her father?" Jeremy nodded while David rubbed his chin. He hoped the man wasn't here to do his son any harm. "Does he know what happened between you and Jessica during the whole prison years?" He eyed his son, knowing he'd breached upon a once tender subject. Over their time together, he'd been counseling him quite a bit on his past and thought they were making great progress. David was Jeremy's counselor for one hour every three days, and his father and friend every other hour of the day.

"No, and honestly, I'm very glad about that." His worst fear would be the man finding out about that history, about that past. He could do nothing but hope and pray it never came up. "Do you think it would ever come up? I mean…" He closed his hands and leaned his shoulder against the wall, looking into David's eyes. "There isn't anything out there that would bring it up?"

"Just be honest with him." Jeremy paled considerably and stared at his father with an expression of bewilderment. Honest? Did he mean that he should tell John what happened? He couldn't, he was too afraid. "Isn't Tyler still out there?"

"Uh-huh…" Another subject he really didn't want to talk about, but was getting better about. Tyler might come back, and if he did, was it likely for him to spill everything to John. If the man heard it through anyone else's mouth, it might be a lot worse. "I don't deserve Jessica, and I deserve her father to kill me…even I know I don't deserve her."

"That you realize that, makes it all the more reason why you _do_ deserve her." Jeremy blinked and his face twisted into confusion. How could that mean he deserved her at all? "That girl loves you, if you can't tell, you're her world. I think everybody sees that." His face became hot as he stared out the window, John was now headed towards the door. His heart was racing. He looked up to this man during childhood, he was and still was his hero. He had nothing but respect for Mr. Trent. "I think everyone else can see your feelings for her are true, just as I can see that respect that's all over your face. You admire him, don't you?"

"Yeah dad…as a child, he taught me quite a bit. I could never imagine hurting him or even Jessica in any way. I just don't feel…worthy…of them." David raised an eyebrow as Jeremy pushed himself from the wall and quietly left the room. He knew the look on his son's face, Jeremy was really thinking hard about something. The doorbell rang and David quickly answered it, smiling as he opened it.

"Hello, I assume you're Jessica's dad? I've heard a lot about you!" He extended his hand and John accepted it, grasping firmly and shaking it. It was an impressive handshake. Usually handshakes were what told the most about a man and whether they could be trusted. "You're here to talk to Jeremy?"

"Yeah, you're his stepfather?"

"I am, but he calls me dad."

"I am not surprised." David chuckled and gestured for John to enter. John was in his uniform, he wanted to show off to Jeremy. "Now where's Jeremy at? You know he's like the son I never had…"

David smiled as John placed his hat on the hat rack next to the door. "Good to hear." Now they just needed to get Jeremy in the room to talk to John, the man did come to see him. "Jeremy's just a bit nervous right now. He hasn't seen you in so long."

"I know. In one of Jessica's old letters, she told me that he'd been in the same prison as she was…" She never talked about their interactions, but she did always say that he wasn't himself, but she had strong feelings for him nonetheless. "After the death of his grandmother, and thinking he'd lost his brother, I can see him losing his mind."

"You know about that?"

"Jessica told me a lot in her letters. There was this one really old one that I've got in my mind, though…" In one of her first letters in prison, she'd told him that she'd seen Jeremy and he'd hit her. John was in such a state of shock, but he'd since put it out of his mind. Mainly because in every letter that she wrote, she always spoke well of him, her feelings for him growing steadily stronger with each letter. Then the rodeo happened, Jeremy saved her and everybody else, it didn't make her feelings for him skyrocket, so there was no risk of 'hero worship' as it was called. However, her emotions and feelings for him seemed to rise a bit quicker than usual. "In one of her first letters to me while in prison, she said she had a bad encounter with him, that he'd become angry and violent…"

"Oh dear…" A thud was heard in the kitchen and the fathers quickly ran into the room. They saw Jeremy looking down at a metal pan that was on the floor, and on the counter was a cake mix. He frowned and looked up at his dad. It was his turn to make the desert for today's dinner. They rotated and one person made appetizers, one made the sides, one made the desert, and another made the entrée. "Jeremy, did you drop the pan?"

"Y-Yeah…" His concern wasn't the pan, it was that he'd just heard what John said. His stomach was tied into knots and his heart slowly sinking. Maybe John hated him now, all that respect lost. He closed his eyes, feeling very sick to his stomach. It didn't matter, he had to be honest. Slowly he turned to her father and looked him in the eyes. "So, is it Mr. Trent or General Trent?"

"Just call me John, son."

"John?" He lowered his head and pushed his hands into his pockets. He wasn't worthy enough for that. "No sir, I'm not good enough."

"Sure you are, just call me John." John placed his hand on Jeremy's shoulders and smiled into his eyes. How could he comfort him, he was obviously in pain. David picked up the pan and set it on the counter, grateful that there wasn't anything in the pan or on the floor. "I've been wondering about something. You and my daughter, you two clearly like each other, but you're not dating. Why is that?"

"You know why…" John frowned as Jeremy continued to look in his eyes, standing tall and straight, a sign of respect. "I think I'm in love with your daughter." John smiled and David looked over with a serene expression, but both fathers were heartbroken over such a serious expression on his face. In truth, Jeremy was doing all he could not to let any tears out, considering he hated to cry. "But I don't deserve her, I don't deserve your kindness either."

"Why?" John moved his head back some and continued to look hard into Jeremy's eyes. He did want to know what had gone on, but he'd learned so much about how loving and caring Jeremy was now through his daughter's letters. She'd always felt something for him. John was pretty sure, though, that due to that father he'd had, Jeremy may have gone through a pretty bad period of time where Jessica and everyone else took the brunt of it. He would be immensely proud of Jeremy if he told him the situation.

"Because back then, I was a monster." John slowly closed his eyes, listening calmly to Jeremy. He'd seen a lot of monsters in his day, so he was pretty sure he'd seen worse than anything Jeremy could do. Hell, one look at his father was enough to put his past to bloody hell. "Thanks to the things my father did, I lost sight of who I was. I became a bad person and…I hurt Jessica, big time."

"I see." John pressed his lips together and watched Jeremy, his body was shaking. He knew the boy was afraid, but at this moment, it was where he became a man. "And?"

"I've regretted it, specifically when Tyler showed up at the rodeo and…he basically revealed everything we knew to be a lie." Jeremy looked into John's eyes and wondered why it was he wasn't beating the shit out of him yet. He knew John would be, or at least he should be. "But it doesn't change the fact that I hurt her, I hit her and even though I wasn't in the right mind, she never deserved that."

"No, she did not."

"Even then, I had strong feelings for her…"

"Because you liked her as a child." Jeremy nodded and breathed in. This was it, the moment of truth. Either every ounce of respect and trust John had in him would go away or it wouldn't. He didn't see why it wouldn't, though.

"I know that even though all that happened, I would never do anything to hurt her. I've been so confused as well, because I always thought she should hate me, and yet…"

"She doesn't." John drifted his eyes towards the gold watch on Jeremy's wrist and smiled as he pointed to the watch. "She even gave you that. She told me in a few letters about having done that, wanting you to keep it in good condition, and how you kept it in perfect condition."

Jeremy's lips formed a circle and he lifted his arm up, smiling gently. "Yes sir, always…"

"I want you to keep that watch, son." Time ceased as an expression of pure shock radiated onto Jeremy's face. What was John saying? Keep the watch? Was that supposed to mean something? Did he not hate him? John's eyes drifted to Jeremy's and he extended his hand. "Shake my hand, boy."

"Yes sir." Without a moment's hesitation, Jeremy firmly gripped John's hand. John clenched on for a second, which was actually a bit painful for Jeremy, then he released. "I don't understand, don't you hate me?" David leaned against the nearest wall and folded his arms over his chest. He was beaming with pride, his son was being honest about this stuff, he was truly becoming a man. "I…I hurt your daughter, you should hate me."

"I could never hate you. Now hold still." Jeremy did as instructed as John circled him, inspecting him. He had great form, powerful arms and strong looking legs. He did have a firm grip and very powerful eyes. "My daughter tells me how passionate you are, she tells me all sorts of things about you. You're making her happy, Jeremy, and I don't want you to forget that. If you make her happy, then you make me happy. I have no doubt that you would protect her without a second thought."

"I would protect her with my life."

"You have such strong feelings for her, I can see that in your eyes. You regret the things you did to her, and that is important. The things your father did, there is no excuse for. The things that you did, there is no excuse for. You are not that person, though. You have been, and always will be, like a son to me."

"R-Really, you mean that?" Jeremy's eyes grew and began to become misty. John slapped his hand onto his shoulder, but Jeremy did not flinch. Smirking proudly, John removed his hand and stepped in front of him. Jeremy blinked away the mist in his eyes and met John's gaze.

"You are worth _so much_ to my daughter, to my family. You mean so much to her. If you said jump, she'd probably say 'how high' and jump for you. The fact that you say you don't deserve her means you deserve everything you can get from my little angel. Don't you think she is an angel?"

"She is." Without a doubt, he didn't even need to think about that question. It made the fathers proud. John closed his eyes and slowly exhaled, thinking back to when he was a young man. He had quite the temper back in the days of his youth, and a very bad mean streak. It was the army that put his temper to good use, the army that shaped him into the man he was today, but he could never forget that he wouldn't be twice the man he was without his wife.

"You and I are not that different, son."

"What do you mean?" With confusion on his mind, he watched John closely, eyeing his body language and posture. John wiped his forehead and sighed, calmly moving his eyes to Jeremy's and locking them there. He commanded attention without even asking, and Jeremy gave it. He could be a model soldier. Hell, John almost wanted to ask him to jump, just to gauge his reaction.

"When I was your age, I had a lot of anger inside of me. It wasn't my family, I'm not entirely sure why I was angry, to be honest. I know that I felt it was me against the world." Jeremy frowned and slowly nodded his head, he could definitely relate to that feeling. John took a deep breath and held his hands behind his back. "I hated everyone and everything, spent most of my days and nights at the gym. You probably know how that feels."

"Yeah, the isolation…it sucks…" No friends, no family, these men could attest to the fact that they had nothing.

"I didn't let anybody near me, I didn't let anybody into my world, into my heart. But, something was wrong…someone just wouldn't give up." Jeremy barely smiled as John's face brightened with the memory. "No, she kept pushing, no matter how much I pushed away. She started growing on me, and I will admit, I was probably a bit aggressive…" Jeremy then frowned and nearly dropped his eyes to the ground, but he fought the urge and held John's look. He could see the pain in the elder man's eyes. He spoke calmly and straightened his posture a bit.

"Did you ever hit her?"

John frowned and thought back, he couldn't say he ever hit her. No, not at all. "No, but there were many times where I wanted to, just to get her to leave me alone. Many times when I almost did. Had I gone through the shit you went through, had I lost my mind, then maybe…but it would just have meant her trying a hell of a lot harder to get through that warzone to me."

"She was really determined…" Just like Jessica, determined to reach him at all costs. And she fought, she fought with all her strength, never giving in.

"Yes, she was an angel. One day, she took my angry hands in hers, looked into my eyes…and she got in." A large smile graced Jeremy's lips as he remembered that day at the rodeo, the day Jessica finally got through to him, finally fought through all the shit and reached him. "Well, she ended up becoming my wife."

"So that's where Jessica gets it…" John laughed and nodded, Jessica most definitely got her strength from her mother. It also explained why Janet never seemed to hate him and always spoke to him with kindness. "Damn, those women have to be angels in disguise."

"That's what I think." Jeremy chuckled and David lifted his eyebrows, he was starting to think he ought to leave these two men alone. "Now, I met someone who really taught me to put all that pent up anger to _good_ use, and that man was my commanding officer in the army. Colonel Gregory Caesar Andrews. He was the hardest person I'd ever met, and I did everything I could to surpass my teacher."

"Did you?"

"I'd like to think I have." John smirked and folded his arms over, now he was going to get into what he really wanted. "Jessica tells me you are a fantastic baseball player, great runner and a really good aim."

"I don't like to boast…"

"Good man." He placed his hand on Jeremy's shoulder and grinned into his eyes. That was when Jeremy began to realize what was happening, his eyes widened as John slowly smirked. "Now I'm going to show _you_ how to put all that aggression, all your skills, into _great_ use. For the next four years of your life, while you attend college of course, I am going to teach you _everything_ I know." David stifled a chuckle while Jeremy began to feel faint. This would probably be where John gets him back, through very rigorous training. "I hope you're ready son, I know you'll make me proud, because you will go through everything my men went through and so much more."

"I believe that…"

"Good." John closed his eyes and lifted his eyebrows up. He wanted to make Jeremy sweat, but he also wanted the man to know that he still had the utmost respect for him. "How many pushups do you think you can do?"

"Um…" Jeremy scratched his head and looked over at his dad, who whistled a tune and slowly walked out of the room. "Gee thanks dad, no help from you."

"Part of your military training Jeremy! Make me proud!"

"Sure thing Dad!" David laughed and Jeremy looked over to John, who was watching him with eager eyes. "I think the most pushups I've ever done in one sitting was seventy five."

"Okay, so I have no problem telling you to get down and do your best to _double_ that amount." Jeremy calculated in his head and slowly exhaled as John moved to his side. Double was 150 pushups, this was going to be rough. He _would_ prove himself, though. He wanted to do everything to gain the full respect and trust from Mr. Trent. Without hesitation, he fell to his hands and feet, and begun his pushups. John counted every pushup off, not shouting anything at him. Jeremy didn't need him to be a drill sergeant just yet, that could wait some time. He had to admit, he was proud. Jeremy's arms didn't even start hurting until he reached 110, but he still had 40 more to go. "Keep pushing, push _through_ that pain Jeremy, I know you can do it!"

"It's getting hard, sir!"

"Keep going!"'

"They burn like hell!"

"Jessica wants you to do 150 pushups! Do you want to fail her? Do you want to fail me?"

"No sir! Never sir!" Jeremy picked up the pace and John smirked triumphantly, he loved how fired up Jeremy could get. It was not long before Jeremy made it to the final pushup, and he still wanted to continue. When told to stop, he instantly stood up, knowing it was probably a bad idea to lay down.

"Welcome to Camp Trent, you've just made me proud, son." Jeremy nodded and fought off the urge to scream out his pain. "From now on, every day, I'm going to have you wake up at a certain time, give me a certain amount of pushups and other workouts and we will begin your training. Can you handle this?" Never say no to this man, he knew that.

"Yes sir."

"Glad to hear it!" Right now, all Jeremy wanted to do was ice his arms. He wasn't sure if he could even pick up an ice pack anyway, much less a single ice cube. Well, he'd have to get used to it. It'd probably get easier over time. So it was true what the girls had said, Mr. Trent was definitely going to recruit him into the army.

* * *

A Father's Pride, the title really refers to Jeremy's father, David, (these father chapters are the lead in to the Father's Day Arc, btw, with Tyler's part really being the first of it) though it can also count as both David and General Trent. Hope you enjoyed this chapter.


	51. Bench Discussion

Boarded

A/N:

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Chapter 51 (Bench Discussion)

Jeremy panted as he jogged around the park, he and John had a pretty good session earlier. The man left him to his own devices and went back home after about five continuous hours of training, and Jeremy's muscles were sore as hell now. He stopped running and made his way to a park bench, sighing as he took a seat. He had four years to decide whether he wanted to play baseball or join the army, but he could still play ball either way, probably.

"Hey Jeremy." Jessica was walking up right behind him. He looked back at her and smiled as she rounded the bench and sat down. She looked stunningly beautiful, as always. She was wearing blue designer jeans and a red t-shirt with soft, almost silk-like fabric. The collar was cut in a V shape. Her cleanly cut fingernails gripped two brown bags. She opened one and pulled a sandwich out for him. "Dad told me he'd been training you today…" She eyed him and saw that he had a couple bruises on his face. She tentatively reached up and rubbed his upper forehead, worried. "What happened there?"

"Your dad and I sparred for a bit, he was teaching me to fight properly. Guess who won?" They laughed and Jessica pulled her sandwich from the bag as he took his. It was obvious that John managed to beat him. As he unwrapped his sandwich, he lifted his eyes to the trees and frowned. He could have sworn they were being watched. They hadn't heard from Lenny in a few days, he thought he'd given up his tricks. Hopefully he wasn't back to stalking Jessica. To stalking _Jeremy's_ lady. If he was, he would have another thing coming. "So, you filed that restraining order yet?"

"My _dad_ is enough of a restraining order." The two laughed as Jessica gazed off uncomfortably at the trees. It didn't stop a stalker much, evidently. She was very grateful that he seemed to not follow her around for a while, but now she was starting to feel more uncomfortable than ever. "Did you hear what happened to him? Well, not so much him, but his entire family…" Jeremy raised his eyebrows and shrugged while taking a bite of the sandwich. Flavor hit his mouth and immediately set his taste buds aflame. His eyes went wide as he stared at the sandwich, it was _amazing!_ She looked to him and smiled cheerfully, feeling she'd won him over.

"Oh my god, what did you _do_ to this sandwich? It's so good!" She straightened herself up and shook her head. Jeremy watched through the corner of his eyes as her long hair swayed from shoulder to shoulder. Dear god, he wanted to brush his hand through that hair. There were a lot of things he wanted to do, and it seemed as though both her cousins and her father gave them the green light if they wanted to start some sort of relationship. Now all he had to do was to stop being a coward and ask her out!

"A chef never reveals her secret." He smirked and tilted his head, now wasn't Valerie the aspiring chef? Jessica looked him in the eyes and grinned, she could tease him with this all day if she wanted to, but she didn't. "So, I think Uncle Hector's around here somewhere…"

"Oh?" That wouldn't be good, if Hector was around, then that meant Tyler was somewhere. If Tyler was around, then he definitely needed to let John know. Jessica bit into her sandwich, trying to ignore the unease boiling up inside the pit that was her stomach.

"Lenny's mom and dad, along with his cousin, were all murdered…" Jeremy's eyes widened as she scooted closer to him, thinking that might throw Lenny off of her if he was watching her right now. "They revealed the note to the media...He told Lenny that he killed them because he was stalking me and put Sam in the hospital…" He frowned and stared blanky at his food, if all that training hadn't worked up a voracious appetite, the news probably would have killed his desire to eat.

"Nice to see he cares so much." He had a sarcastic air about him, but he did suppose that in his own way, Hector may be protective of his family. "I don't know that they deserved that any."

"No they didn't, and now Lenny's little sister has to grow up with only her brother!" She turned to him and looked sharp in his eyes. "Do you understand that this means I _can't_ report him as a stalker? He has to take care of his little sister. Yet if I don't report him, then that means he's going to continue and maybe become even worse!"

"You can't let him continue stalking you, Jess." He set the sandwich on the brown bag, which he placed on the bench beside him. Then he turned his attention to Jessica and placed his hand over hers, a small gesture which he hoped would help to comfort her. Seeing her as she was right then, she was incredibly tense. He gazed into her soft brown eyes and breathed in. She watched his chest rise and slowly drifted her eyes up to his, it was almost as though he commanded her attention without even meaning so. "As you know, I won't let him do anything to you, but you have to do something for yourself too."

"I know a thing or two about martial arts, if that helps."

"Oh you do?" He raised his eyebrow and pressed his lips together. "I never knew you took martial arts classes." She smirked and wagged her eyebrows. She just never wanted to hurt him in the past. "Well that definitely helps." He moved his hand to her forearm and rubbed her arm gently, causing her to close her eyes and let out a soft sigh, mixed with a moan. "Plus you got a badass father along with a badass guy who would do anything for you. You've got a pretty badass family, to top it off. I'd say you're pretty safe."

"Thank you, Jeremy…" She opened her eyes and smiled gently. She adored this man more than he would ever know. He drew her in with his charm, with his grace, with his love for her. She was a firm believer that the guy should ask the girl out, but she was getting a bit impatient. Either way, she would wait as long as it took for him. "So Dad told me you gave him some information that might be influencing just how much he trains you?" She wanted to move away from the subject of Lenny, to something that was comfortable to talk about.

Jeremy chuckled nervously and closed his eyes, remembering his conversation with John. "Maybe, I told him a little bit of our past, when I hurt you…" Jessica paled and her eyes widened. He told her father about all that and he was still alive? Wow, she knew her father had a lot of trust in Jeremy and liked him well enough, but she didn't think he liked him _that_ much.

"And you're still alive?" He smirked and began to trace her lips with his eyes, soon realizing what he was looking at, he tore his gaze into her eyes and held them there.

"After today's run through, that is highly debatable." Jessica laughed her usual rich, enchanting laugh, and Jeremy was once more pulled in. _"Damn it!"_ A gust of wind blew past them and Jessica watched his hair breeze aside. They were both detecting a wild rush of pheremones from the other peson, the stench was practically driving them mad. She wanted to take him, to kiss him, to feel him all over her, but he probably wouldn't go for that. Not only that factor was in play, but there was the annoying fact that her stalker was probably watching their every move. She could only fantasize about what she would do if she could get him alone.

_"I want to fall asleep in his arms, I want him to cuddle me close and say he loves me and he'll never let me go…"_

_ "Quick, say something, anything!"_ He wasn't the type to sweat, he'd practically trained himself not to be nervous, especially around her. The only trouble was, he was almost _always_ nervous around her. "So, beautiful weather today?" Jessica blinked and raised her eyebrows while he kicked himself mentally the second those words left his lips. _"What the fuck, dude? What the hell was that? Who gives a shit about the weather! Of all the things to say!"_ He closed his eyes and looked away for a second, it seemed so uncharacteristic of him to start talking to her about the weather. He sighed, small talk really wasn't his strong suit.

"Um…I guess it's okay?" She couldn't help but giggle, which made him moan. His pride took a huge blow and she'd just added some salt to that wound. The double kick to his pride and ego was almost all he could take. He had to think of something, and fast, otherwise he'd die of embarrassment. Somewhere, somehow, the great god of romance was laughing his or her sick, twisted little mind off.

"So! What college are you going to go to?"

"Oh, what college? Hm…" She tapped her finger on her lower lip. She'd been accepted into multiple colleges, gone to all of their orientations, so all that was really left to do was decide which one to move into. "Well Dad just got home and doesn't want me to take time away from a good college just because of him, so I'll definitely go to a major one somewhere. Sam says Freddie, Jonah and Valerie are all going to Stanford. Mel's staying in Texas and going to Midwestern State University."

"Won't that be hard for those two? Freddie going to Stanford, in California, and Melanie staying in Texas…"

"It's difficult, but doable." She was thinking she might go to Berkley, which was in California as well, but she didn't want to be away from Jeremy. Normally, she'd be able to be apart from him, but with everything that had been going on, she didn't think she'd feel safe. "Where are you thinking of going?"

"Maybe Antioch University for a year, just to remain close to my family, and then I think I'm going to transfer to Stanford." He didn't want to be away from them when he'd just met them, he didn't believe he could stand it for very long. "After college, I think I may just go ahead and join the military…but as long as I can still play baseball!" He had an intense love for the game, just like Kevin and Freddie, hell their team was doing so well recently, and he was confident they'd be great next year too.

"You want to be a ballplayer and your brother wants to be a pro wrestler, you two are shooting high there." She smiled and remembered that his hand was still on top of hers, they'd forgotten that they were still holding hands. She looked down and blushed as she closed her hand around his thumb. "Sam, when it's time for her and Mel to go to college, she's not going to go."

"No? What's she going to do?"

"She's intent on joining the Air Force and already has everything together." Jessica chuckled to herself as she envisioned Sam a soldier, running through trenches and doing the best she could to make a name for herself. "She's the 'military brat' of the family." Jeremy laughed and grinned widely. With her fierceness, he could definitely see her being involved with the military. Hell, she acted like she was in it already. "Sweet little Melanie wants to be a kindergarten teacher."

"I can see her as a teacher in grade school."

"Yeah, same here, but as for me…I'm not sure what I want to be." She definitely couldn't see her being a stuffy business woman, nor did she see herself as a guidance counselor. She didn't want to teach, she personally hated schools. She thought back to Gil Grissom and Catherine Willows, how strong and firm they were and about how sharp their wit was. Catherine was like a hero to her, so fast and sharp, so knowledgeable. She could see herself doing what that woman does. As far as she knew, she was still working too, leading her own team. Her eyes lit up with wonder and Jeremy's eyebrows rose. To work alongside her hero would be so glorious! "I think I know what I want to do."

"What's that?"

"CSI!" Jeremy grinned and began to imagine her questioning someone and investigating the scene of a crime. She could definitely pull it off.

"Go for it."

"You really think I could do it?"

"I think you could do whatever your heart wants and whatever you set your mind to do." He smiled into her eyes once more and the blood rushed to her cheeks. "You're Jessica Trent, and if you could soften up a hardened guy like me, there's _nothing_ you can't do."

"Well…" That was it, she couldn't hold it in any longer, and neither could he. She drifted her eyes up and parted her lips briefly, her breathing slowing and her body glowing. His eyes fell to her lips and his hand gently squeezed hers, he was both asking and giving permission. He swallowed as she closed her eyes. Closing his eyes, they began to lean forward, their lips slowly coming within inches, centimeters of each other.

Someone's voice rang out in protest, scaring the two apart from each other. The color drained from Jessica's face while Jeremy turned his perturbed glare upon the one who interrupted them. Lenny was now standing in the open, glaring at them, his chest heaving. Panic spread through Jessica's body as she tore her hand from Jeremy's and stared wildly at Lenny. Lenny pointed at Jeremy and growled. "You stay away from her! You're not right for her!"

"Go away, kid. She doesn't want anything to do with you."

"The fuck you know! We're in love!" Jeremy rolled her eyes and Jessica's body began to tremble. Jeremy glanced at her, then back to Lenny, and slowly rose from his seat. Lenny took a fearful step back, then shook away his fear and glared angrily at Jeremy. Who cared if the guy practically towered over him? "I won't let you ruin what we have!"

"Oh? You have something? Is that so?" Jeremy folded his arms across his chest, trying to ignore the rage that was shooting through him. The one thing he could not tolerate was this kid coming between his time with Jessica. "Because the last I checked, a relationship was supposed to be a two way street, and currently your thing with her is the most one-sided thing that I've ever seen in my life!"

"Asshole!"

"I've been known to be called that. Mainly because I stand my ground, I won't back down. Yes. Your point?"

"You're a dick!" Lenny ran towards Jeremy, which was a big mistake on his part, but he honestly thought he could take him. He punched towards him, only to have Jeremy casually grab his fist with his hand, then clench down. He shouted as his opponent glared into his eyes.

"I'm not normally a mean guy, but you see…right now I'm pissed off, and I'm pissed at you. So, if you would like to avoid going home to your little sister and having to explain to her why you are covered with bruises, then I suggest you back away…leave my woman alone…and go home in the next ten seconds. Got that?"

"Aha! See you threatened me, you're still a violent man!" A surge shot through him and he closed his eyes, he was most certainly _not_ a violent person. Was he? Jessica rolled her eyes and slowly rose up, she was becoming insanely irritated with people constantly bringing up Jeremy's past.

"He's not violent, you asshole. He's protective. There is a fucking difference." She placed her hand softly on her arm and bit her lip, she was trying to overcome these feelings that were stabbing her. So close to a kiss, so close to what she wanted, and her emotional high had just been sent crashing into the ground. "Lenny, I hate you so much, I would _let_ him beat you up in a heartbeat, but he's right…your sister doesn't need to see that, especially after you just lost your entire family." She clenched her fists and her eyes shot open as she glared venomously at him. "Now go away and leave me the hell alone!"

"But-"

"Now!" Jeremy released his hold on Lenny and glared into his eyes.

"You heard the lady, now go away." Lenny looked to Jeremy, who pushed himself forward in an intimidating pose. He screamed and quickly ran away. A feeling of peace came over the two as they turned to each other and looked at each other, at least they scared the stalker away somehow. "Are you okay, Jessica?"

"Yeah, I'm fine." She sniffed and shrugged off the bitter feeling of disgust. How dare Lenny come and ruin the moment? How dare he obsess about her? How dare he think she even remotely cared about him! She knew her words might have hurt him, but she had to be harsh. At least, that was what Melanie said. "You don't think I was being too hard on him, do you?"

"No. Not at all." Jeremy's cell went off, so he checked it with a small groan. It was a text. He answered it and read the message. "Damn, I have to get home. Guppy wants to play a game, and you know how he gets." Jessica laughed once and nodded, she understood. Guppy would annoy everyone until he got a chance to play a game with his big brother. "Walk you home?"

"Sure, I'd appreciate that."

"Okay, so let's go then."

"Thank you."

* * *

Hope you enjoyed this, and no they're not dating yet. Although, that really looked like a date up there XD. I forget whether Jonah's a year older than the rest, like Jeremy and Jessica, or if he's the same age as Freddie and the others. I think he's the same age. Next chapter is "Shay's Fire". You're going to love it. Carly's fire burns as she takes firm hold on justice and uses two people to her advantage. Stick around and enjoy the burning of Shay's Fire.


	52. Shay's Fire

Boarded

A/N:

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Chapter 52 (Shay's Fire)

Lenny sat in the studio apartment that he moved into with his little sister, they couldn't afford to live in the old house, much less this one, and there were far too many memories. Not only that, but it was perhaps safer than chancing Hector coming after him. He was watching television while Brandy played with a toy truck in front of him. His mind was reeling over the events of the day before, how could Jessica say she'd _let_ Jeremy beat him? She must not be in the right mind, because she saved him from a bully before. What if he was treating her badly? He needed to save her, maybe then she'd realize they were meant to be!

Just then, the doorbell rang. Lenny got up and walked over and answered it. When he opened the door, he saw a very angry girl watching him. "Carly Shay…" She looked very calm, but the energy emanating from her body was what gave her away. "Why are you here? How did you find my apartment?" He didn't know her personally, he'd only seen her in the school hallways. She brushed him aside, looking over her shoulder.

"You're Lenny, Nevel's cousin?" He nodded as Carly folded her arms. She looked at Brandy, who looked up at her and smiled. It was sad, what she knew had to happen. "Well then, I guess I'm not really surprised." He was about to get a visit from two people who would have a major impact on his life in the very near future, and she was the one who pushed for this. "You know Samantha Puckett?" Lenny's brow creased as he shut the door and nodded. "She and I are, well, not really friends anymore…but I heard about what happened to her."

"Yeah, that was a horrible accident." He was still a bit miffed that she made it out alive, same for Jeremy, he didn't think his aim was that bad. Carly's eyes changed as she closed her hands tightly, trying her best not to attack him. "What about it?" She'd run into Sam at the mall with her mother and made her talk about what happened to her. She'd been appalled to hear that Jessica had a stalker! Not only that, but the stalker was now raising his baby sister on his own.

"I found her and she told me everything, Lenny." Her voice was flat and laced with bitter anger. He could hear it in her and see on her body, but for some reason, she wasn't attacking him. No, he had a feeling what she was about to do was much, _much_ worse than beating him up. "She told me how they're more than sure you're behind the attacks on her family, and well…I did a little research, Lenny. It turns out you're right up there with Nevel…"

"What? What does my cousin have to do with this?" Carly smirked and kneeled next to Brandy. Brandy looked at her and smiled happily.

"Hello miss, how are you? Are you having fun with your little truck?"

"Yes ma'am."

"Are you happy with your brother? You see him often?" Brandy hummed playfully as she made car noises, pushing the car back and forth.

"Not really, he leaves me home alone all the time, says he wants to go spend time with his girlfriend." Lenny paled as Carly closed her eyes and slowly turned her head over her shoulder, eyeing Lenny through the corner of her eyes.

"So he's never home? You're always on your own?" Lenny swallowed and his hands began to sweat. He tugged at his collar and shushed Brandy.

"Brandy stop talking, don't talk to her." Carly smiled and pulled a small car from her pocket. It was a hot wheels car with fire stripes on the side. Brandy's eyes went large and she gasped happily as Carly handed her the toy.

"It's okay Brandy, you can tell me whatever you want. I bet you miss your mom and dad. Does your brother do anything at all to comfort you?"

"Not really." Brandy was very nonchalant, her mind on the toys. Lenny chuckled nervously and backed towards the door. He didn't know what Carly was doing, but he wanted her to stop. "I want my mommy and daddy...I miss them…But big brother's never here, so when I cry, I have to play with my dollies."

"You have to play with your dollies. Hm…" Carly closed her eyes and shook her head. She knew how well her big brother took care of her when they lost their parents. Spencer did the best he could, no matter what, even turning to his art and finally finishing Law School. Lenny here worked at a Wendy's and spent every day watching Jessica. Carly had a feeling there wasn't even any food in the pantries. "I have a question for you, what was that hobby that Nevel and your big brother would do?"

"Oh! They would often make big booming things!" The color drained from Lenny's face as Carly smirked, finally hitting what she was looking for.

"Big 'booming' things?"

"Yeah! They'd put them outside and boom!" She tossed her hands in the air and laughed giddily.

"Brandy! Stop talking this instant!" Brandy winced and looked at her brother with hurt eyes. Carly was appalled and eyed him with disgust, what nerve. He immediately realized what he did wrong, but he didn't want to lose his little sister. He didn't know what Carly was up to.

"What nerve you have to talk to a six year old girl in such a manner, much less your own _sister_." She slowly rose up and turned to Lenny. "My brother would never have talked to me like that when I was her age. I was not surprised to hear that you made explosions with Nevel, I'd already investigated and found that out for myself." She narrowed her eyes and gave him a cold stare, locking her eyes with his.

"What does my cousin have to do with anything?"

"He wasn't as creepy as you, but he was a stalker too. He stalked me, Lenny. He finally stopped after awhile, it never came down to needing a restraining order…" Carly rolled her head around her shoulder and let out a calm exhale. "My brother's married now, by the way. I know that doesn't mean anything to you, but you will be meeting his wife very soon."

"Okay? What does that matter? I mean, should I care?"

"Maybe." Carly reached into her pocket. Lenny heard a clicking sound and thought nothing of it, considering soon after the click came a knock at his door. "I took matters into my own hands, was able to do one last thing for Sam and her family…"

"Huh?" He looked at her as his shaky hand reached for the doorknob. Carly crossed her arms and nodded to the door.

"I convinced Jessica to go through one little process, while also, as I said, investigating you myself and having a chat with my brother's wife…" Lenny rolled his eyes, sick of hearing about her brother and the man's wife. He opened the door, and soon regretted it, for standing in front of him was Spencer Shay and Sasha Striker-Shay. Carly stretched and sat on Lenny's couch, placing her feet on the coffee table and watching Brandy, who was looking around confused.

"Search the place." Sasha said as she pointed in the house. Lenny watched with wide eyes as several uniformed men and women entered his apartment. Spencer flashed a signed warrant and shrugged, Lenny wouldn't be denying this. Sasha strided in and watched as her people checked the cabinets, shelves, rooms, and soon came to report about the poor living arrangement. Lenny could feel it, his worst nightmare was beginning to take hold.

"Lenny Siball, I presume?" Spencer set his briefcase on the dining room table and instantly noticed it shaking. "Sasha, this table looks like it's about to fall apart!" Sasha shook her head in disapproval and eyed Lenny closely. This boy was beginning to sweat. "Anyway, I have a restraining order…" Lenny's eyes widened as he walked over to Spencer, how put several sheets of paper in front of him. "This order orders you to remain no closer than 500 feet of Jessica Trent and her family members. You are not to call, harass, make any contact whatsoever…" Lenny swallowed hard and looked at Carly, who was now smirking dangerously at him and tapping her fingers on the couch armrest. He moaned as Spencer droned on.

After Spencer was done making it perfectly clear that violation of these laws could result in jail time. Next, it was Sasha's turn to show him the law. She and her workers had been listening through a transmitter that Carly carried with her and both of them had a recorder on them. "I heard enough. Carly, your device?" Lenny's eyes widened as Carly pulled her tape recorder from the pocket and handed it to Sasha.

"Right here sis." It was then that Lenny realized who Sasha and the other people were, they were social workers! Child protective services.

"No!" He ran over to Brandy and picked her up. She gazed at him with confusion in her eyes.

"Big Brother, what's happening?" She yelped as Sasha pulled her away from Lenny. He shouted and reached for her, but by then, Sasha already had her out of reach. Carly spread her arms out on the top of the back of the couch, then crossed her left leg over her right, watching the scene with intensity.

"I've seen and heard enough, Mr. Siball. Child services will conduct a further investigation of you, but as for what I've seen your living arrangements and lifestyle is far too extreme for a little girl. She will be placed in foster care. Goodbye Mr. Siball." Sasha, Spencer, and the workers started to leave and Lenny's eyes misted over, tears dripping from his eyes as Brandy called out to him.

"Brandy! Sis! Please, dear god no, please!" He fell to his knees and clenched his teeth, tasting of his bitter tears. "Don't take her from me, don't take her from me!" He looked up and at Carly, his tears falling past his chin. She merely stared at him with an uncaring glance, her cold glare freezing him. "W-Why? Why! Brandy was, is, everything to me!"

"Maybe you should have thought about that before you chose to attempt to kill Sam and stalk her cousin." Carly rose to her feet and walked to the door, opening it and stopping in the doorway to glance back at him nonchalantly. "You could try to fight for your right to custody, but you're dealing with my sister in law, the best in the business. Unless you magically stated making 80 grand, had food in your house, and stopped stalking Jessica Trent, which I _highly_ doubt you would…you're basically screwed." Lenny choked back a sob as Carly lifted her head to the ceiling and slowly exhaled. She would normally feel something for someone in his shoes, but with who he was and what he did, she just couldn't bring herself to give a damn. "Once she finds someone unable to take care of a child, she gets that child somewhere safe and the parents don't stand a chance in hell…assuming they do fight. Chances are, Lenny…"

He watched her as she closed her eyes and bowed her head, she did feel good about how things turned out. She managed to find Jessica, convince her to file a restraining order, and she hit Lenny where it hurt. No physical beat down in the world could compare to his losing his little sister. Sure, it was perhaps a coldhearted thing to do, but it would have been better for Brandy, and it would have happened at the rate he was going. She stepped out and stopped the door just a crack, letting her voice float through.

"Chances are, you will never see Brandy again. This was the choice you made when you did what you did. One day she may seek you out again, one day she may learn who you really are…and one day, she may never want to go near you. Remember her as she was, remember this as the result of your greatest transgression. Remember how innocents were taken from you, because of you. Goodbye Lenny." And with that, the fire the three left remained, burning him still and forever.

No matter how soft she closed that door, it pounded inside his head. He sat there, alone, in the dark, praying they would walk back in with his little sister. He knew better, though. She was gone, forever. Carly was right. In ten years, she might be interested in knowing what happened to her brother, her family, and they'll tell her. They'll tell her that her parents and cousin were murdered by the father of the girl he tried to kill, the uncle of the girl he stalked. They'll tell her how he couldn't get a good job and couldn't get food for her because he spent all his time obsessing about this girl. Then she would be so disgusted, so bitter, that she would never want to see him again.

He slammed his fist down onto the floor and let out a deep shout, a cry of anguish which could have shaken the entire apartment complex for all he cared. He could have asked for Jeremy and General Trent to beat the living shit out of him, he wouldn't care. He gripped his shirt tightly, as though trying to tear it off of him. A punch could hurt less than this. He had nothing, he had no one, Brandy was all he really had, and now she was gone. He fell forward, laying over his knees and on the floor, bawling his eyes out. His baby sister was taken from him, gone, forever.

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Carly, Spencer, and Sasha Shay leave the deepest, most painful wound of all. Carly takes the very last thing close to him. Can't help but to wonder what she'll be when she gets older. Hope you enjoyed this chapter.


	53. A Father's Heart

Boarded

A/N: A sad chapter ahead.

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Chapter 53 (A Father's Heart)

Freddie and Melanie walked down the streets of Seattle, heading towards Applebee's. They decided to walk as part of their date, it was much more relaxing than driving, plus faster, considering the traffic going on. "See why I'm jealous, Freddie?" Melanie asked with a slight laugh. "Father's day's coming up and you got a dad. I, on the other hand, don't have a father to celebrate father's day with. My mom never even dated after dad left." Freddie frowned and held on to her hand, he knew that was still always a tough subject for her and always wanted to be there for her.

"Well, he's still Jonah's dad, so I don't know what I'm going to do, to be honest." He'd become closer to Michael, but still felt like he'd be imposing upon his relationship with Jonah. He wanted father's day to be between them since they had not actually done so in such a long time and nobody knew if it'd be the last chance or not. "It could be the last father's day they have."

"And that's why you should be a part of it." Freddie raised his eyebrow as Melanie gave a slight nod of her head. She was sad to hear that he wouldn't want to celebrate father's day, but she could feel his concern. "You won't get another chance to spend father's day with someone, and you never have had one to spend it with, so why let this opportunity go by? You should embrace it." He exhaled slowly and closed his eyes, pondering her words. She did have a point, but he still felt wrong to come in between them. He was a bit afraid, to be honest, _because_ of the fact that he'd never had a dad before. He didn't want to end up 'stealing' Jonah's father. He feared being too overly excited about having a dad. "So here's what you do, you share and compromise. Has Jonah even stated having an issue with father's day?"

"No, not really. He said that he and Michael plan on doing their usual pinecone hunt that day. He thinks his dad may want to take me fishing later that day, so we'll just have to see. You know, they're moving the wedding day up." Michael had a fear that he might die before the wedding day, but of course this fact depresses Marissa deeply, but she would never say. "Jonah's taking care of his dad right now anyway."

"How much time with him have you spent?" He actually had spent a _lot_ of time with Michael. He was happy to have had a dad for the last month, to have felt happy. He also could admit that he and Jonah were brothers, whether their parents were married or not. Freddie smiled at her, grinning so widely his teeth were showing.

"I've spent almost every day with the guy, he's just so awesome!" She was happy to hear that, but she had been concerned about something lately.

"How's he handling all the stress? With everything going on…"

"What do you mean?" They were close with Sam's family, and the fact that her family had been coming under fire lately was putting great strain on everybody. "You mean with the whole stalker thing and Sam nearly dying?" By now, _everyone_ knew about Lenny. He was still very irritated by that, and it showed. It was quite an amount of stress on Michael. "He's taken it pretty hard, especially knowing that Mr. Puckett escaped jail."

"Yeah…" Melanie looked down and placed one hand to her heart. She felt like it wasn't just him, though. She couldn't explain the feeling, but something told her that something worse was lurking about.

"He's got this reoccurring fear that something bad is going to happen to us. It's putting a strain on his heart and the doctor says he needs to start relaxing. Hold on, I need to check the time."

"Okay." They had a 'no phones' policy for tonight's date, so they had their phones silenced. He reached into his pocket and started to pull out his phone, but someone honking their horn caused him to drop it in shock. "It's Valerie!"

"Huh?" He picked up his phone as Valerie's car screeched to a halt next to them. She rolled her window down and the two saw panic etched onto her face. "Valerie, what's going on?"

"Get in! Hurry! We've been trying to get a hold of you for half an hour now!"

"What?" He frowned and looked to his phone, he had twenty seven missed calls and ten missed text messages. "Shit!" Something bad was happening and he didn't know what it was. Melanie read the panic on Valerie's face and quickly pushed Freddie into the car, she had a pretty good idea about what was going on, and she was praying she was wrong. Once inside, Valerie slammed down the gas pedal and called Marissa to let her know she found Freddie. Freddie was clutching the seat in a panic, he'd never known Valerie to drive so quickly. "Valerie, what's going on?"

"It's yours and Jonah's dad!" Freddie started to pale and Melanie began to feel sick to her stomach, she wasn't wrong. "He and Jonah were talking and all of a sudden he got this really bad headache and started feeling nauseous."

"No…" Freddie's voice lowered to a whisper as guilt cut like a knife.

"Jonah even had to move him out of the sun, started getting worried and called the ambulance…then…" Tears were dripping down her face as she pulled into the emergency room parking lot. Freddie's muscles tensed and his face hardened. Melanie placed her hand over his and he relaxed a little. Tears were in her eyes as well. This would be hard to imagine, but at least Jonah wouldn't be alone. Freddie felt as though he were losing a father too, but this was just horrible for everyone.

The group left the car and made their way into the emergency building. Michael had begun suffering the effects of a ruptured aneurysm, which led to his heart acting up. Both of his conditions happening at the same time left Freddie with only one conclusion. Once they made it to the front desk, the nurse asked their reason for being there. "My father, Michael Brown…" The woman gave him directions to find the room and the group headed in that direction. They found the room and found Melanie bawling, her tears falling like the rain. Next to her was her closest friend, Pam, there for support. Her face was hard and wet with tears, her arms wrapped around her friend. Jonah was sitting at the side of his father's body, the man had tubes and wires hooked up everywhere. His face was very long and his eyes were glazed over. "Jonah…" Jonah looked over at Freddie, no matter that he knew this was coming soon enough, it didn't make it any easier.

"He's…gone…" He pressed his lips tightly together and placed his hands on his father's arm. "Dad's...gone…" He was trembling, as though he were about to explode into a mess of tears. Freddie moved over to Jonah and looked at Michael's body. The color was gone from his face and his eyes were closed. He wasn't moving. Freddie's eyes glazed over as Jonah stood up next to him and looked at his father. They stood as statues, the only thing moving at all were their tears, flowing like streams of a river. Melanie and Valerie stepped behind their respective boyfriend and hugged them from behind, placing their cheeks upon their shoulders and letting their tears drench the men's shoulders. "They were going to have the wedding in two weeks…" Jonah's voice became shaky and the women closed their eyes. "Things were going to be perfect, things were going to be so great. He was going to get to see his grandchild! He would have had his happy ending!"

"I think he did, Jonah…" Everyone looked at Freddie, who continued to gaze at Michael. Just before he left for his date with Mel, he and Michael had a fun time fishing out at the lake. The same thing they were going to do on father's day. They had so much fun, a day filled with laughter and jokes. "He told me that everything was so perfect for him…a woman who loved him, finally being able to actually talk to his son…I think this was exactly what he wanted. Was he at least happy when…it happened?"

"Yeah, maybe…" Jonah closed his hands and felt his heart sinking, tearing, piece by piece his heart was shattering. Though, the thought that maybe his father was truly happy with his life did make it feel a little better. "He's always been happy to collect pinecones, he was really happy to have your mom around, and he said that 'we' made him smile again, we being everyone here…So maybe you're right, but…I can't believe…he's really…"

"I know." So this was what it was like to lose a parent, like someone slowly, painfully peeling off your skin. Freddie was starting to have a little difficulty breathing, so he did all he could to fight that difficulty. It might take a long time to recover from this, but with everyone supporting each other, they could make it through. "Jonah."

"What?"

"He's happy."

"What makes you say that?" Jonah sniffed as he looked up at Freddie. Freddie moved his eyes around the room in time to see Sam and Gibby rush in, having received Melanie's text message.

"Just look around you…" Jonah did so and saw everyone, he felt the warmth of Valerie holding on to him. Years ago, when he was withdrawn from his father and withdrawn from the world, he used to fear being alone. He wasn't alone. He didn't have to go through this by himself. Slowly his lips curled up as he wiped his eyes. He knew Marissa's standpoint, as she told them, she was still going to be his second mother. He had Valerie beside him, Valerie his fiancé who was pregnant with his baby. He had his best friend, his brother as well. "I think above all, this is what your dad wanted. He wanted you to be _happy_, and he was truly happy in his final months..."

"Yeah…and Dad doesn't have to suffer anymore…" Jonah walked to his father and placed his hand on his dad's arm. He could almost picture Michael and Denise standing arm in arm, waving and waiting for him. One day, they would all be together again, and until then, Jonah needed to be happy in his life. He closed his eyes and breathed out.

Everybody stood around a gravestone days later, and on it was an image of a pinecone. Freddie had his hand firmly on Jonah's left shoulder while their girlfriends stood next to them, tears in their eyes. Marissa stood behind them, wiping her eyes with a handkerchief. On the tombstone were the words: Beloved Husband and Father, and the phrase that made him happiest, _I love you, Dad._ They stood there in silence for hours, long after everybody else left. Jonah's stomach felt empty and he thought he was going to collapse. Everybody came to the conclusion that perhaps it was not negative stress that led to his heart failure, but that he was so incredibly happy that it caused a massive blood rush to his heart, and that's what did it. "He died happy…" It meant so much to Jonah that his father had been happy, and now he could try to move on _with_ his family and without a boarded up heart.

* * *

Next chapter is a really nice chapter, you'll enjoy it. It's also sets the events of Father's Day in motion.


	54. Father's Day: Perfect Emotions

Boarded

A/N:

* * *

Chapter 54 (Perfect Emotions)

Jessica followed Jeremy around to his garage, he wanted to show her the motorcycle that his dad got for him. It wasn't a convertible or a Porsche, but it was still cool. It was a bit of a father's day gift between them, they bought it together for the other to use when they wanted to. He wasn't the bad boy type, so he didn't think he'd ride it very often, it was more a collectible since he and David both enjoyed looking at pictures of motorcycles. He opened the garage door and Jessica's eyes grew large.

A beautiful, shining Harley motorcycle, with a black and red body, and fire stripes on the sides, sat delicately in the center. It had two helmets on the seats, the helmets were black, round, and had a stripe of fire going down the center of the helmet from the top to bottom of the back. Jeremy walked to his bike and placed his hand on the soft, cushiony seat, and smiled. "I'm not going to talk about all of its parts and everything, I just think it's nice to look at."

"It really is!" The body work was black, with a circular red insignia on the front, the fenders were red and reached over the wheel. The seat was long and stretched out along the top of the bike, it was all one seat. The headlight was red, round, and the handlebars rose above the bike. She could see the exhausts and muffler just above the rear tire, and ran her hand along the shocks. She was very impressed with the bike and was investigating it very intensely, which came as a surprise to Jeremy. "This is an impressive bike."

"I didn't know you were into motorcycles. Are you into 'bad boys' as well?" He smirked as Jessica glanced up at him and rose, her lips curling upwards a bit. "I'm not exactly a bad boy type, so if you want a bad boy, I'm sure I can help look for one." She laughed and playfully smacked his chest.

"No, I don't want a bad boy, but I _do_ want to ride this bike. Can we?" He lifted his eyebrows up and grinned, he had no problem with that. He was good enough at riding a motorcycle that he could be safe as possible. He grabbed one of the two helmets and tossed it to Jessica, she grabbed it and nearly squealed with excitement. "I'll take that as a yes."

"You can take it however you like." He grabbed his helmet and thought for a minute, this could be a golden opportunity. "As long as…" Jessica glanced at him through the corner of her eyes while placing her helmet on her head. He closed his eyes and pushed his helmet on, then fastened the buckle to hold it on. He looked into her eyes and a flash of nervousness hit him. He swallowed it and grasped the left handlebar with his hand. "It could be a date?"

Jessica froze, her eyes widening and her blood rushing to her skin. Had he just asked her on a date? Finally? Her heart started to swell as her eyes quivered, she was trying so hard to hide the excitement on her face. Jeremy tore his gaze from her and got on the bike, praying she wouldn't say no. She wouldn't, would she? Wasn't this father's day, he shouldn't be asking her out on today, they should be honoring their fathers somehow. Well, both their fathers _did_ urge them to start dating.

"Well?" He looked at Jessica and frowned, she wasn't saying anything, just standing there. He couldn't tell if she was shocked, disturbed, or happy. He knew they'd built up a good friendship, and the emotions they'd been having, they accepted. He was starting to grow a bit weary and fearful, anticipating rejection. The only thing was, would she honestly reject him? "I mean, it doesn't _have_ to be a date, it could just be another outing. You know?" Jessica's face softened and a smile graced her lips, her heart was racing in her chest and she was doing all she could to reduce the pounding. "I mean, if you think it's too-"

"Jeremy." He looked up as she slowly glided towards him, locking her gaze with his and holding on to the happiest she'd ever looked. She couldn't stop thinking about how adorable and handsome he was, she loved him. She got on the bike behind him and placed her hands at his sides. He blushed at her touch and smiled as she leaned forward, pressing herself against his back and wrapping her arms around his waist. "I would love this to be a date, I would love to go out with you. I can only wonder what took you so long to actually ask me out."

"So, you do feel the same then."

"Of course I do, Jeremy." He chuckled nervously and stared absently at the speedometer. He felt stupid, she had kissed _him_, so of course she felt the same! He'd been so worried about things that weren't important anymore, that he'd not asked her out when he should have. "I was beginning to think there was something wrong with me, you know." His eyes widened and shock shot through him, how could she think something like that?

"There's _nothing_ wrong with you! You're a beautiful woman, an angel, and you have the nicest heart of anyone I've ever met…" She smiled, her cheeks glowing bright red. He thought she was beautiful? She squeezed him gently and nuzzled her cheek against the back of his neck, closing her eyes and breathing from her nose. He started up the motorcycle and checked the status of everything he needed, such as the gas and mirrors. "It's not a sports car or anything, kind of wish I had one of those to drive you around in."

"It's okay. You don't even need the motorcycle to impress me, you do that enough all on your own…" He blushed and gripped the handlebars tightly, bringing his feet up to the footrest and pulling out of the garage. He wasn't going to speed, it wouldn't be safe, and with Jessica, he knew better than to drive too fast and risk an accident. He wasn't going to let _anything_ happen to her. Jessica opened her eyes and smiled as he drove down the road. The wind felt so soft and cool on her face.

They drove in silence and eventually passed her home two miles away, she lifted her hand up and waved at her home as it faded in the distance. They laughed with excitement and Jessica quickly grasped Jeremy's waist again, holding on tightly. She felt like if she let go, she'd blow right off of the bike. "Jeremy, can you pop a wheelie on this thing?"

"I can, but I'm not about to do that with you on this bike!" She laughed and tangled her fingers together, resting her head on his shoulder.

"You're no fun." He laughed and turned the corner. He didn't want to get on the freeway with her on, especially considering he himself had not driven the freeway with the motorcycle.

"So where to? Anywhere you want to go?"

"I know this awesome barn that Sam showed me a few months ago, it's all painted up inside with graffiti and stuff, but it's great!" Jeremy pressed his lips together and shrugged, it sounded intriguing.

"An artistic barn, you say?"

"Yes, it's on an old farm that nobody lives at anymore. It's kind of sad, really."

"Okay, sounds like a plan. Just point me into the direction." She grinned and started navigating for him, she was sure he'd be thrilled with the barn. It was so beautiful, all the random paintings and sayings of people who had gone there. Even Sam had tried her hand at something artistic, a painting of a jailed bunny rabbit. As they drove, they passed a black Cadillac Eldorado. Jessica looked into the car as she passed and saw Tyler driving it, with Hector in the passenger seat. Her eyes widened and she quickly buried her face into Jeremy's back in order to hide detection. He raised his eyebrow and continued staring down the road. "Is there a problem?"

"No, just keep going. Everything's fine." She didn't want to worry him, especially if he hadn't seen Tyler and Hector. She lifted her head a bit and looked into the rearview mirror, breathing out with relief when she saw the car turn down a different street. They'd not noticed them. She hoped they were just going for a drive, nothing serious at all. She was not going to let anything spoil this, their first date. Or at least, the first time they really looked at anything as though it were a date. There were of course, several moments that could be considered one.

As they continued on, taking all their turns and whatnot, Jeremy spotted a pure white motorcycle that was just a little larger than his. He raised his eyebrow and shook his head, black was a much better color for a motorcycle. Of course the person on that bike did have a bit of a beige trim. "Look at that guy, I wouldn't want to be seen driving something like that."

No response, he glanced back momentarily and smiled when he saw Jessica was asleep. The wind on her face must have caused her to close her eyes, she never put the visor down to shield them. He passed the guy on the motorbike and looked over, to his shock, he saw that it was Lenny. Hoping the guy didn't see them, he quickly passed him and moved into another location. As long as Jessica didn't see the guy that was fine. She moaned softly and opened her eyes, the roar of the engine as he increased his speed had woken her. "Jeremy, how come you sped up like that?"

"Sorry for that."

"It's okay. Just don't do it again…" She looked around and spotted the barn in the distance. Grinning brightly, she pointed and laughed. "There it is! Jeremy, do you see it?" He looked in the direction she was pointing and nodded, he saw it.

"Yep." He pulled into the drive for the farm and found a place behind the barn to park. Jessica pulled her arms from his waist and let him get off first. Once his feet were on solid ground, he held his hand out for Jessica and helped her off the bike. She took a step forward and breathed in the wondrous air, it had been a while since she'd been here, she loved it. The sky was blue, the grass was green, and the ground was covered with flowers. She extended her arms and spun around as the wind breezed against her. Jeremy chuckled and took his helmet off, placing it on the handlebar and watching Jessica. "You really are beautiful." She stopped spinning and looked at him, brushing her hair from her face and blushing.

"Okay, whatever mister romantic, let's get in the barn! You have to see the artwork!" He closed his eyes and smiled, undoing her helmet for her and removing it slowly. She breathed in and watched him closely, detecting every bit of pheromones coming from his body. So much testosterone, it was near overpowering.

"Not necessarily romantic, just telling it like it is, the truth." He set her helmet on the seat of his motorcycle and looked at her. The sun reflected on her face and the wind, blowing her hair to the side, something about this scene seemed to make her shine more than ever before. "You know, you always seem to shine, but right here, right now…you're the most beautiful person I've ever seen." Her cheeks were so full of color and her eyes dazzled. He lifted his hand and caressed her warm cheek. She closed her eyes and placed her hand in his. Every damn time he touched her, it sent waves of euphoria rushing through her body. "You are and have always been so beautiful."

"Okay Mr. Wonderful, let's get in there." He laughed as she took his hand and pulled him into the barn. The song reference was great, she probably didn't even know he'd heard of that song. Maybe he was a miracle to her, and was he that irresistible to her? He smirked as he squeezed her hand gently.

"Yeah, fine by me." Once they made it in the barn and closed the doors, they looked around and saw an array of colors all over the barn walls and ceiling. Jeremy's jaw fell as he eyed all the paintings and graffiti, Jessica was right, it was beautiful. The smell of spray paint rushed into his nostrils and he turned to the right where he saw a large, freshly made painting of a heart. A can of black spray paint rested next to the painting, so he walked over and picked it up. "Well, somebody's already given us a good palate to work with."

Jessica raised her eyebrow as Jeremy extended his hand, as if trying to create an aim for where he wanted to paint. "What exactly are you doing?" He shook the can and aimed close to the heart. She lifted her eyebrows as he painted a very fancy looking 'J' in the top left corner of the heart, then placed a plus in the middle. She folded her arms at her waist and smiled as she watched him draw a simple letter 'J' at the bottom right corner. "J & J, you're the fancy one at the top and I'm the average, simple one at the bottom." She covered her mouth and stifled a chuckle, she thought he was more than average.

"I don't think so, you're so much more average than that! You wouldn't make me fall so easily for you if you were just an Average Joe." He looked at her and chuckled nervously. She moved her eyes along the wall and gestured for him to follow her.

They spent about ten minutes looking at all the art, until they finally found Sam's painting. Jeremy was stunned by the magnificent size. The height of the brown bunny, with a white diamond patch on its nose, stood at six feet. The bunny was inside a perfectly painted jail cell and had a look of exhaustion as it held a cup in its right paw. "Your cousin did this?"

"Yeah, amazing isn't it?"

"Very, it's impressive. Did you do anything?"

"Um…yes…" She blushed as he took her hand in his and looked at the wall, wanting to know where her work was and what she had done.

"I want to see it!" She quickly looked down and held her hands together at her waist, fidgeting her fingers together while shaking her head, her cheeks glowing bright red. "Aw come on, it can't be bad at all."

"It's not, it's just…it's embarrassing!" He laughed and rubbed her back.

"Come on, I bet it's not. I bet I can find it."

"You'll be searching for a long time!"

"Oh really?" He rubbed his chin and smirked as he looked around the barn with his eyes. Scaling to the back of the barn, he saw a wall that had only words on it, three different columns. Under each column were three initials: M.P., S.P., and J.T. Jessica's eyes grew large as he decided to get closer and walked towards the words. "Now what's this, those look like the initials of you and your cousins, is that coincidence?"

"Uh!" She blushed harder and looked to the side. No, it wasn't coincidence. The three of them had been there a month ago and decided to write the chorus and a verse of a song describing their relationship with the guy they liked. Jessica wouldn't tell them hers. "No…Sam, Melanie and I were supposed to write the chorus and verse of songs that described how we felt about the guy in our life."

"When was this?"

"Not quite a month ago…" Jeremy smirked as Jessica stepped next to him, worried about what he would think of her song. He read Sam's, it was something from Cascada. His eyes drifted over to Melanie's and he lifted his eyebrows, somehow not surprised by hers. She tilted her head and pushed her tongue into her cheek, then again he probably wouldn't think hers was bad at all compared to the sugar sweetness of Melanie's _Bumblebee_ by Bambee.

_My heart skips a beat  
When you walk in the room  
I go boom, boom, boom  
You go zoom, zoom, zoom  
You're my playboy, playtoy  
Love you, my friend  
I wanna be with you until the end_

_I give my heart and my soul to you  
To make you see it's true  
I'm so confused, baby, can't you see?  
Please come rescue me_

_Sweet little bumble bee  
I know what you want from me  
Dup-i-dup-i-do la da  
Dup-i-dup-i-do la da  
Sweet little bumble bee  
More than just a fantasy _

"Well her song's not _bad_." He stifled a chuckle, not wanting to be disrespectful to Jessica's cousin. She chuckled and shrugged as she pointed to hers. Romeo and Juliet by S.O.A.P.

_It's a lot like Romeo and Juliet_

_It feels like_

_Something´s happening to me_

_In the summertime I met a guy_

_He was so fine, He blew my mind_

_My friends are telling me_

_Girl he's a loser_

_But they can't see_

_It's a lot like Romeo and Juliet_

_It feels like_

_Something´s happening to me_

_From the first time I saw his eyes_

_There was sunshine_

_Everytime he walks into the room_

_I feel my heart go boom boom boom_

_It's a lot like Romeo and Juliet_

_It feels like_

_Something´s happening to me_

_There was a time, when I was young_

_And love it felt so strong_

_Now it comes back to me_

_What's going on_

_It's a lot like Romeo and Juliet_

_It feels like_

_Something´s happening to me_

"That's actually a good song." Jeremy noticed she'd included the entire song, he wondered why that was, but didn't think too much on it. Jessica blushed as her eyes trailed the song, she really did still feel that way about him. He turned to her, his index finger in an arc over his chin. "And do you still feel this way about this mystery guy?"

"Well…" She looked into his eyes and her heart began pounding incredibly hard, so hard that she felt like anybody could see her heart jumping from her chest. "What would you say if I said yes?" He lowered his arm and walked close to her, his body was heating up, he thought he was going to die of a fever.

"I'd say, do you know if this guy feels the same about you?" He smirked and Jessica moaned lightly as she traced his lips with her eyes. She was sure she _had_ a fever. If not, then she didn't know what it was that made her legs feel like they were going away.

"I'm not sure. Does he?" Sweat formed at his brow as he tapped his fingers on his leg. These pheromones pouring from her body, he had to work hard to control this feeling growing inside of him. Like a disease spreading through their bodies like wildfire, a match waiting to ignite.

Jessica bit her lip and felt her heart skipping several beats. God she wanted him. If he kissed her right now, would she be able to stop herself? She wanted those arms of his to wrap around her, she wanted to feel what it was like to be held by him, to be loved by him. "Jessica…I…" What was happening to them? He moved his hand to her right arm and gazed strongly into her eyes. Her lips parted and she felt her skin bubbling under his touch.

_"God he's perfect."_ That was it, she couldn't hold it in anymore. Like a spark going off, a match striking against the ground. The flame was ignited. He couldn't contain it anymore, he loved her damn it and nothing was going to hold him back from loving her. Screw how he used to be, he wasn't that way anymore and both of them knew it.

Their lips crashed against each other in a rush of mad passion and Jessica backed up against a wall, letting out a sharp moan as the fire shot up their bodies. She quickly tore off his shirt and threw it to the side as he spoke breathlessly. "What are we doing Jessica?"

"Just don't stop." He moaned roughly as she nipped his neck and let him pull her shirt off. He pressed himself against her body and she took a sharp breath. "I want you to hold me. No one has to know about this…" How could they do this on Father's Day? It was wrong, but it felt right. The dads wouldn't have to know, nobody would. Jessica knew her body well enough to know she wouldn't get pregnant as she wasn't ovulating, nor was she near her period, add that to the fact that she took a birth control pill regularly every day at the same exact time, as most girls do whether they're active or not.

"Jessica…" He kissed her neck and she breathed out, her eyes fluttering open as she moaned, feeling his hands sliding down her thighs.

Thirty minutes later, the couple lay atop a pile of hay. They'd dressed to the point where Jeremy had his jeans on and Jessica managed to put her shirt and pants on, as sloppily as it seemed, it was the best she could do. She had her hand on his chest and was cuddled close on his right side. She breathed out and looked at him, she didn't feel guilty at all and hoped he didn't either. "We don't need to do it again, we can control ourselves."

"Can we?" He rubbed her arm with his hand and slowly breathed out. She watched his chest rise and fall with each breath and smiled as she traced a heart on his chest. "That tickles, you know."

"You're too masculine to care…" The lust now replaced with love for each other, the one act seemed to bind their souls together. They knew to wait before doing that again, and were confident they would be able to. "I've never…done that before. I know how much you wanted to wait for the right person, and I…" She bit her lip, thinking about Candice and how that girl wanted sex from him and he never gave it to her. She was like that too, wanted to wait for the right person, and in all honesty, she felt like it was him.

"Jessica, things like these…they happen. Usually when it's the right person, it feels so perfect…like two hearts binding together as though nothing can tear them apart." She smiled and looked to his face, he was staring up at the ceiling with the most serene expression she'd ever seen him with. Maybe he did think she was the right person. Her heart swelled as she placed her hand flat on his chest and closed her eyes. She could feel his heart pounding in his chest and whispered her next words to him.

"That perfect feeling you're talking about…it's there." He smiled and closed his eyes, holding on tightly to her. They were in such a calm state of mind, nothing could interrupt their world. Not even the sound of an approaching motorcycle could disturb them.

* * *

Well we're here, father's day. With the ominous appearances of Tyler, Hector, and Lenny. You know it begins now. A bittersweet ending to such a beautiful, sweet chapter. Keep in mind that they've not _quite_ confessed their love for one another. And no, Jessica will _not_ end up pregnant. I can't stress that enough, haha. My decision to have them have sex was tough, I asked Hiruma about it (haven't heard from you in a while, btw), and was told to go for what I felt. I thought it would be a good way to get rid of the sexual tension, which will now be gone. The romance should be there. Well. Cue the continuation of the Father's Day Arc! Come on, you know this whole chapter was just so damn sweet. Hector and Tyler next chapter!


	55. Father's Day: Abductions

Boarded

A/N: Now we rewind just a little bit. A lot will happen in this chapter. Yes, if you didn't catch it before with all the focus on fathers, Father's Day is when the climax comes.

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Chapter 55 (Father's Day: Abductions)

Hector blinked and shook his head as a black and red motorcycle blew past them. He watched as the female rider clutched onto the man and buried her face into his back. He thought he saw Jessica, but thought better of that. Would the girl really be riding on a motorcycle? He glanced over to Tyler, who was driving the car. He didn't seem to notice or care who the people on the bike were. "So Tyler, what are we going to do?"

"I thought you knew." Tyler turned off onto another street, glancing in his rearview mirror. He moved his eyes to the road and pressed down gently on the brake pedal before moving back to the gas. "We're going to talk to your daughters, and then I suppose we'll find your niece and you can talk to all of them at once. Okay?" Hector smiled lightly and shrugged his shoulders. He knew none of them would want to talk to them, so Tyler was going to force them along if they refused. As long as Tyler didn't hurt them, he was okay with this.

"If you think your plan will work, then great." Tyler smirked as his eyes slanted and he watched the road, his expression appearing only slightly crazed. The girls would probably run off if they saw Hector and the buffoon wasn't smart enough to actually grab them. He'd have to do all the work. "Do you think that Lenny brat still is after my niece?" Tyler's lips sank down as he pulled in front of the Puckett household. Seeing the garage empty, he knew Pam was probably at work.

"He's a stalker, Hector." Tyler pushed the lever into park and opened his door, beckoning Hector to stay there. "Of course he's still after her." Hector frowned as the rear passenger door locked, they had child safety locks, so it was definitely helpful to them. "Stay here and I'll be right back with your daughters." Hector gave a grateful smile as Tyler exited the car and opened the driver side rear door. He didn't care about Melanie, he wanted Sam _Jackie_ Trent. He was going to kill her quickly, but only after she watched her cousin suffer the ultimate humiliation before death. If Hector protested or acted up, which he pretty much suspected he would, then he'd kill the oaf. He wasn't too certain, crazy things had been going on in his mind lately, like he'd been fighting with himself.

Tyler made it to the front door and grabbed the doorknob, slowly turning it and carefully opening the door. He honestly loved how people never locked their doors when they were home. He slowly slipped into the house and grabbed a round object from a nearby coffee table. Whispering to himself, about nothing in particular, he made his way to a bedroom where Melanie was listening to some music on an Ipod. She had her eyes shut and was bopping her head, perfect for him.

She opened her eyes and spotted a shadow moving across the wall, her eyes widened and she lifted her head up. She was about to turn around, but was struck in the back of the head. She yelped and fell against the desk. Tyler smirked and ran his hand through her hair, he was always impressed with the hair these girls had. Sam, Melanie, and Jessica were beauties.

He snapped his head to the door as he heard another door slam, bathroom door most likely. He quickly jumped behind the bedroom door as Sam walked in the room. "Melanie, when is…" Sam spotted Melanie's cheek pressed against the desk and drool coming from her mouth. She growled frustratingly and started to shake Melanie's back. Tyler grinned darkly and started to approach Sam. "Come on, wake up, this is no time to sleep. Remember, we're trying to get something for Uncle John?"

He stopped in his tracks and his eyes widened. _"General Trent? No, that's impossible, he's still in Iraq."_ He shook himself and stepped behind Sam, raised his weapon, and brought it down upon her head, knocking her out cold. He stared at her as her body lay sprawled out on the floor. Smirking, he lifted her body up and threw her over his shoulder, then did the same with Melanie.

Hector kept a good eye on the door and the street, making sure nobody came their way. When he saw Tyler, he breathed out a sigh of relief, but then his muscles tensed when he saw Tyler _carrying_ the girls. Tyler walked to the car and positioned the girls in seated positions, tying their outside hands to the handles at the top of the car, at least they could still move their other arms around, but they were pretty much disabled. "What did you do to them, Tyler?"

"They resisted, so I knocked them out, that's all. I didn't have the time nor the patience for them to resist." Hector frowned and looked at his daughters with a frown. Sam and Melanie were frowning, their left and right arm, respectively, up in the air, tied at the wrists. They looked almost dead, but they were definitely breathing. Tyler grunted as he locked and shut their door, then entered the driver's seat. He started up the car and drove off, not catching the brief glare Hector gave him.

They sped down the road, Tyler wasn't entirely sure where they were going to go. They knew Jessica was not at her own home, so they needed a way to find her. After a few minutes, they heard a light moan. Hector looked back and saw Sam stirring and grinned. Sam slowly opened her eyes and tried to pull her arm, but realized a rope was around her wrist. She gasped as her vision adjusted and she spotted Tyler and Hector in the front seats. "No!" Melanie let out a groggy moan and Sam's eyes widened, she couldn't believe they had _her_ too. Tyler moved his eyes to the rearview mirror and smirked.

"Good to see you girls are waking up." Melanie's eyes shot open and she screamed, ignoring the incredible pounding in her head. Tyler winced and Hector frowned, his children were scared. Sam moved her eyes over to Melanie and was starting to adjust completely to her surroundings. Melanie tried in vain to pull her hand down and screamed as she pounded her palm against the window.

"Let me out of here!"

"Mel, stop…We're stuck here…" Melanie met Sam's eyes and slowly exhaled, she trusted her sister to keep her safe. As long as Sam was there, nothing was going to happen, right? Sam moved her eyes to Hector and narrowed them. "Hey there _dad_, Happy Father's Day, shithead." Hector winced and his eyes filled up with pain. The tone in her voice was like a knife to the gut. "So why are you working with Tyler?"

"He's helping me, all I wanted to do was talk to you…"

"So you…_kidnap_ us? Forcibly?" Her tone started to rise as her anger flared up. How dare her father do this to them! If he wanted to talk to them, why didn't he just simply come to their house and talk? "A simple knock on the door and a hello wasn't enough for you? You had to go send your _thug_ after us?" Melanie sniffed and moved her free hand to wipe her tears. She stared at her father, terror in her eyes. Hector lifted his hands and pushed them forward in the air.

"Now relax, nothing's going to happen, okay? Daddy's not going to let anything happen to you."

"It already _has_, fucker! I don't care how much you talk to us, you can _never_ change the past! You're a sorry piece of shit! Now you go and abduct your own daughters from their own home?" Tyler rolled his eyes and growled, he was beginning to get a headache. "If my hands weren't tied, I'd beat the shit out of you!"

"Do you have to talk to me like that?" He frowned and pushed his hands into his pockets, leaning back and breathing out. Why did Sam talk to him like this? He knew the answer, but he didn't want to admit it. Sam smirked and stared at him with a pissed expression. "Because you annoy the living shit out of me. You beat our mother, you beat my sister, you terrorized your family, and what are you trying to achieve now? Forgiveness? Acceptance? Do you even feel _guilty_ about what you did to us?" Hector turned around in his seat and closed his eyes as Tyler cleared his throat.

"It was my idea, anyway." Sam's eyes darted to Tyler and a growl escaped her lips. She drew in a breath and reached into her pocket with her free hand. At least she could think clearly enough to remember her cell phone. Her eyes darted to Melanie, who was watching out the window, fighting back her tears.

_"I'll get us out of this somehow."_ Thinking fast, she started a text message and began texting with one finger. _"Uncle John, I'm about to call you. Do _not_ talk, just listen. Please…HELP. Don't send a text back, nothing to make my phone go off, let me call you."_ She waited for a few moments and Melanie turned her gaze to Sam, looking confused and concerned as her sister put her finger to her own lips.

Sam then dialed John and placed her cell phone in the space in between the four chairs on the floor. She then put both her feet around it, to hold it in place. "So Tyler, you said it was your plan to abduct us, not Dad's?" She heard a clattering noise from the phone and cussed mentally, but neither man heard it. Tyler glanced in the rearview mirror and shrugged.

"He wants to talk to you two and Jessica. I think she's out with my son." Something deep inside was awakening, and he hated it. His mind roared angrily as he commanded total silence. He'd suffered an electric shock to the head for the second time in his life, perhaps that's what it was. It killed what he once was and was reviving it. He couldn't have this.

"She is. In fact, I got a text message that said she was out riding with him on his bike." Tyler's eyebrows rose and Hector gasped, nudging him. Tyler narrowed his eyes and looked at him with an annoyed glance.

"What?"

"We passed them earlier!"

"What?" Tyler slammed on the brakes in time to stop at a red light, then glared at him. "We passed them and you didn't mention it? That would have been helpful!" He smacked Hector on the back of his head and Sam growled, seething with anger.

"I didn't know it was them at the time! Sam just confirmed it."

"Well shit, they could be anywhere then…" Tyler gripped the steering wheel tightly and raised his eyebrow as he heard the roar of a motorcycle engine. He saw a white bike drive up next to him, it was Lenny, and he looked to be in a rush. "Lenny. That punk could be trying to find them…" He rolled his window down and called out to Lenny, who looked over at him. "Hey, what are you in such a hurry for?"

"I'm trying to find my woman, that's all." Tyler looked back at Hector, who rolled his eyes. "I know where she's at! I saw them earlier, but didn't put two to two together till now! So I'm in a hurry!" Tyler snapped his head to Lenny and watched as he sped off. Hector breathed out and shouted.

"Follow that motherfucker _now!_" Sam and Melanie eyed their father with wide eyes, his anger was like a crazy bonfire. They were afraid they'd get burned. "He didn't take my warning, clearly. I'm going to murder the bastard!"

"Wait, don't you want to see…" Tyler paused for a minute and slowly smirked, realization dawning upon him. Lenny was heading towards Jessica, he knew where the girl was. Where she was, Jeremy must be as well. He would have to follow him, but remain obscure. Then Hector could kill him while he grabbed the girl. Sam's eyes darted in between the two men while John listened intently to what was going on, trying to pick up any clues, if any, as to their location. Sam was able to remove her shoe and use her big toe to press the numbers on the phone, sending John messages in Morse Code, having memorized it a long time ago. "Let's go!" The light turned green and Tyler sped off, catching up to Lenny, but staying a safe, unnoticeable distance away. Even John was ready for a high speed chase, if needed, trying to gather all his things while listening to his niece. Nobody was going to mess with his family, had he not made that message clear enough? He, of course, had to calm Janet down, who was beside herself in fear. This was turning out to be one hell of a Father's Day.

* * *

Here we go, get ready. Hope you like this chapter, I'm sure you'll like the arc.


	56. Father's Day: Chasing Down Danger

Boarded

A/N:

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Chapter 56 (Father's Day: Chasing Danger Down)

Jessica opened her eyes and found herself being pressed against the hard floor with someone straddling her back and tying her wrists together. She looked around frantically, trying to figure out what was going on, and gasped when she saw Jeremy on the ground in front of her, shirtless and unconscious. "Jeremy?" The person tying her wrists together shushed her and her eyes grew large, she knew who it was. Screaming, she struggled, but the man was still able to hold her down. "Lenny! Get off me! Leave me alone, please!"

"No, I'm here to get you away from him." Jessica's eyes started to water as she continued to struggle. "I smell him all over you, what did he do to you!"

"Nothing!" He got off her and pulled her up, grabbing her arm and roughly jerking her towards the door. She was so scared of him that she couldn't move, her legs were almost paralyzed. "Jeremy please! Wake up!" She cried out and Lenny frowned. "I'm _saving _you."

"No you're not! You're kidnapping me!" He'd lost his mind, lost everything and finally gone insane!

"So there's a little grey area. What else do I have to lose?" She sobbed as Lenny started to open the doors. She should be able to break from his hold, why couldn't she? She didn't want to appear weak, she hated appearing weak. She was no damsel, either. None of them were. She needed to get away from Lenny somehow. "Now I'm on a motorcycle, so I'm going to need you to hang on tight or else you might fall off, and I don't want you to fall off."

"Fuck you! What did you do to Jeremy!" Lenny rolled his eyes and dragged her outside. He'd found them asleep and hit Jeremy in the head with a piece of wood in order to prevent him from waking up and fighting him. He wasn't stupid, he knew if the big guy had awakened, then he would have pummeled him. "Coward!" He ignored the comment and dragged her out to his motorcycle, which he had parked next to Jeremy's. "Just remember, hang on tight, got that?" She knew she had no choice but to do that, but maybe when he undid her hands, she could run.

Inside the barn, Jeremy moaned out and rubbed his forehead, it felt like someone just slammed his head with a ton of bricks. He started rubbing his eyes with his fingers and reached around for his shirt, gripping it and slowly rising up. "Jessica, are you okay?" He frowned as he put his shirt on, there was no reply. As his vision started to return, he noticed she was gone. Panic spread through him as he felt of his head, there was a small amount of blood. Someone attacked them! "Shit!" He ran outside of the barn just and started to run around the corner, freezing when he saw Jessica on the back of Lenny's motorcycle, he was gripping her wrists firmly so she couldn't let go. She looked at Jeremy, tears in her eyes. "Jessica!"

"Jeremy!" Lenny's eyes widened as he glanced over. Jeremy roared with anger and charged madly towards the man. Lenny started up the engine and quickly took off. "Stop, Lenny! Please!"

"Sorry, gotta go!"

"You fucking bastard, give her back to me! When I get my hands on you, you're fucking _dead!_" Tyler's black car parked next to the barn and all of the occupants frowned when they saw Lenny take off. Hector shouted once he saw Jessica on the back and pushed Tyler out of the car, he was furious. He took over the wheel and Tyler rolled his eyes, moving quickly to the passenger side, just in time to see Jeremy drive madly by them, not even noticing them. It wasn't as though he would have stopped to chat with them if he did see the group.

"Let the chase commence, then." Tyler slammed his door shut and Hector sped off, he was going to stay a safe distance behind Jeremy, because he knew if he got up there where Lenny was like he wanted, it could be hazardous for Jessica. Sam sent a Morse Code message to John, alerting him that Lenny had Jessica and not only was Jeremy after him, Hector was driving like a madman after them.

"Sam, was that really Jessica?" Melanie asked while looking frantically at her twin. Sam's face hardened and she nodded her head. She placed her hand over Melanie's in order to comfort her, as she knew the crazed speeds would probably freak her out worse. Currently, the motorcycles must be going over 90, because Hector was reaching 85. John was already working with the police on the other line and instructed them not to get involved, that the situation would be resolved, and now he was ordering them to have everyone clear the roads. He needed Sam to be more descript on where they were. "Where are we going?"

"We're on the main freeway now, Mel. We're going north." Melanie began to sweat as she clenched her eyes shut. She started praying under her breath, praying that they would survive this. Sam knew her father well enough to know Lenny wouldn't do anything to Jessica. Hell, she wasn't going to be surprised if he killed the guy, which was exactly what that crazed expression on her face was telling her that he planned on doing. She actually wouldn't mind if he did just that. Now what Tyler had planned, she didn't know, but she was confident that Hector wouldn't let things get out of hand with him. So he was appearing more like a father, but she still hated him and still thought he was showing how he felt in the wrong manner. "I just can't believe they were at the barn. I wonder what they were doing there…" Melanie chuckled nervously as Sam looked at her wrist, her arm was becoming very tired. She looked over to Melanie and saw that she seemed to be feeling the same way, straining herself to sit up so it wasn't like her arm was tearing from her socket. "Dad, Melanie needs her arm free, she's hurting."

"I'm fine Sam…"

"No, you need some slack on your arm." Hector looked at Melanie through the rearview mirror and frowned, seeing the sweat on Melanie's face and the look of pain. Her arm was red around her wrist, it was clear she was straining herself. He glanced over at Tyler as he followed the bikers on a dangerous turn.

"Tyler, undo their ropes, _now_." He was stern and determined, not tolerating any backtalk. Tyler rolled his eyes and freed Melanie's hand, figuring the girls couldn't do anything anyway. He normally would have resisted, but that feeling awakening inside him was gnawing at him. Melanie gasped and brought her hand down, rubbing her wrist and biting her lip, it felt so good to finally be free from the binding. "Sam too, Tyler."

"It's okay pops, you don't-"

"Just listen to me for once and let me take care of you." Sam's eyes widened as Tyler cut her rope with a pocketknife. She slowly brought her hand down and rubbed her wrist, which was in worse shape than Melanie's was. She continued to stare at her father in surprise, stunned by his reaction. "I know I was a bad father to you girls, and I know nothing I say or do will _ever _make up for the things I had done to you girls, or to Pam…but believe it or not, I still want to be a part of your lives, even if it means never seeing you." Sam felt her heart sinking as she looked away and closed her eyes. Melanie stared at Sam with a frown, she knew she was hurting badly. "I'm not asking you to forgive me. I just don't want you to _hate_ me. I had a bad way of showing that I cared, I grew up thinking that the things I did were _normal_, that those were the ways to discipline."

"One hell of a way to show you care." Sam crossed her arms and Tyler glared at Hector through the corner of his eyes. Was Hector softening up? No, he'd always been a bit of a family man at heart. An abusive prick with no real reason for what he did, so it was much harder to forgive his actions. Melanie looked at her father with tears in her eyes, she couldn't believe the words she was hearing from him. "You let your scumbag friend here kidnap your daughters, knock them out, and tie their wrists until they bleed…"

"I'm sorry, I didn't know he was going to take things that far…" He honestly didn't, he didn't even know what Tyler did in the house. He looked in the rearview mirror and saw Sam's wrist, it was raw and looked like her skin was torn. How tight had Tyler tied that damn rope? "Sam how is your wrist?" Sam looked out the window and shrugged, unsure really of how to respond to him. Years ago he would have become violently angry for her ignoring him, slapping her, but he slowly breathed out. He needed to focus on the chase, anyway. "Please, is your wrist okay?"

"…It's fine." Melanie looked at Sam's wrist and her stomach flipped over, the blood was making her sick to her stomach. At least it wasn't deep enough to do any severe damage. "Tyler hates me, you know. He hates Jessica too."

"So? Your point?" Tyler's muscles tensed and he looked back at Sam, giving her a warning glare. Sam ignored him and shrugged her shoulders. "He…He helped me. I honestly thought you guys wouldn't want to talk to me if I showed up at your door…" Sam folded her arms over each other and Melanie spoke up, tears in her eyes.

"We would have talked to you, Dad. At least I think I would have…if you weren't going to hurt us…" Hector felt his heart sink as Sam quickly shot a look of surprise at Melanie. Melanie closed her eyes and sighed. "I mean you _were_ our father at one point of time and even though you're a violent dad, it's not hard to see that you do care about us, maybe even…love us…" Hector's eyes misted as Sam's eyes drifted towards the seat. She was beginning to feel warm inside and she wasn't liking it. She wasn't supposed to feel anything for her dad, but she did. "I mean, maybe if you were willing to make an effort…maybe through counseling…you could be our dad again."

"Y-You really mean that?" Tyler rolled his eyes and tapped the edge of his door with growing impatience. Lenny had stopped at his home and was dragging Jessica inside. Jeremy was stopping as well.

"Yeah, Jeremy and Gibby's stepdad is even a guidance counselor! He could help! I mean, are you sure you'd really _try_?" It would be hard, but he would want to. Sam rolled her eyes and looked at Melanie with displeasure.

"Come on sis, he sent his friend after us and the bastard knocked us out from behind!" Tyler clenched his jaw and closed his eyes as Hector came screeching to a halt next to Lenny's house.

"What?" Tyler kicked his door open and exited the car, Hector left the vehicle and slammed his door shut. "You said they resisted you!"

"Oh shut up and go take care of Lenny, then get your niece here, okay? I won't touch your _precious_ daughters while you go kick the stalker's ass. Got that?" Tyler tapped the top of the car as Hector nodded and made his way to the house, Jessica was very important right now. Tyler slowly exhaled and looked in the window at Melanie, who was watching him with fear. He wanted to get this over with.

Hector slammed the door open and clenched his fists, he saw Jeremy squaring off with Lenny, who was standing in front of a terrified Jessica. Jessica's eyes met his and his face softened, he needed to get her out of there. Neither of the boys noticed him there and were yelling at each other, at one point Lenny mentioned the two having had sex. His eye twitched and he slowly glared at Jeremy, the punk had sex with his niece? They would have to talk about this later, but he wanted to get his hands on the stalker more than anything.

"You _slept_ with my niece?" Jeremy paled as he turned around and saw Hector pick up a round stone from a nearby table and swipe him across the head with it. He fell unconscious and Jessica cried out for him. "Sorry, I had to do that…" He moved his glare to Lenny, who was now staring at him, white as a bed sheet and clammy as a fish. "This fucker is mine." Hector slammed his fist into his palm while slowly approaching the terrified boy. "You just bought a death wish, taking my niece away."

"I was protecting her!"

"From what? From nothing!"

"Who are you?"

"Oh, you mean you don't know?" His face darkened as Lenny shook his head. "Let me give you a hint. Dead family." Lenny froze and images of his family's murder flashed through his mind. From Nevel's slit throat, blood slowly dripping from the couch, to his mother's body lying in a pool of blood, to his father's bedroom that made him want to vomit. Lenny slowly closed his hands as his boiling blood began to rise.

"So that was _you?"_ Jessica eyed the two nervously and didn't notice Jeremy being dragged from the house.

"Bingo." Lenny's body began to shake as he took a dangerous step forward, he would kill this man. Jessica then looked to where Jeremy's body had been and gasped when she noticed him gone. Thoughts flooded her mind and she soon remembered Tyler. If Hector was here, Tyler couldn't have been far. Lenny's anger coursed through him and he exploded in anger.

"Fuck you!" He charged towards Hector, who calmly watched him. Jessica remained frozen in place, not daring herself to move. She knew if she moved, it would alert the two men, and she'd rather them fight each other rather than focus on her. Lenny had a knife and already threatened that if she moved, he'd probably kill her, along with himself. He was so crazy that he wanted to be together for all eternity with her, and was willing to die for her. He scared her more than anybody else ever had. Lenny thrust the knife forward, but Hector sidestepped him and grasped his wrist firmly.

"Bold move, a _very_ bold move." Hector started to tighten his grasp and Lenny shouted out in pain as his attacker narrowed his eyes venomously and spoke in a tone laced with malice. "But you just gave me the weapon I'm going to use to slaughter you, pig. I warned you what I'd do if you continued to mess with my niece, and you persisted. I wish I'd found you instead of your family, that day. Then it would have only been you..."

"Never! I'll never let anyone tear us apart, even if it means dying with her!"

"She would never die with you. She would never be with you and wants nothing to do with you. You should never have bothered with her!" Jessica's eyes widened as Hector wrapped his other arm around Lenny's throat, squeezing it. Lenny gagged, his face beginning to turn blue.

"P-Please, what are you doing this to me for?"

"I told you to stay the hell away from her! Did I not? You didn't listen! It took your parents dying, your sister being taken away, and you _still_ didn't get it! You're screwing around with the _wrong _family and you picked the wrong woman to stalk!" Hector looked over to Jessica as he wrapped his hand around Lenny's hand and started to twist it around. "Jessica, cover your eyes or look away, I don't want you to have to see this…" She swallowed and felt a surge of pain go through her as she moved her hands to her face, she would normally protest, but right now, she didn't even know what was going on.

Lenny screamed as Hector slammed the knife into his side, he then released his blade as Hector grasped the handle firmly. Lenny began to pant heavily, while trying to gain air from Hector's arm around his neck. The man was releasing and tightening his hold every so often, so he did get some air, but this was pure torture. Hector tore the knife along Lenny's waist, then up his chest, causing him to cry out and scream in pain, tears fleeing his eyes. "Please don't do this to me, sir. Our love…"

"That's enough of that!" Hector grabbed Lenny's tongue and the youth moaned out a surprised yell. His eyes widened as Hector brought the knife up and sliced off his tongue so he could no longer speak. "I didn't want to have to go that far, but you were _pissing_ me off!" Jessica kept her eyes closed and covered her ears, trying to ignore Lenny's cries of anguish. Although he was the stalker that scared her, he was still a human being. Lenny mumbled and brought his hands to his mouth, tearing up as he watched the blood dripping onto his shaking hands and covering his chin. "Now you learn…"

Lenny began yelling out as Hector released him and pushed him onto the couch. Hector closed his eyes and grasped the boy's throat, ignoring his spasms and the blood flying all over the place. "Your parents and cousin are waiting for you Lenny. Are you ready to see them? If so, stop your squirming." Lenny froze and stared up into Hector's eyes as his lids rose up. Tears streaked the stalker's face as Hector placed the blade at Lenny's throat. "I see, I'm glad about that, because I'm sure they're waiting for you. You will die pretty quickly, but it won't be instantaneous, you don't deserve that…"

Lenny let out a muffled yell as Hector slowly cut the blade along his throat. His body squirmed and shook for a moment and soon he stopped moving altogether. Hector closed his eyes and lifted the boy from the couch, then threw him out the window, not wanting Jessica to have to see that. He turned to Jessica and she slowly opened her eyes, rising from the ground and looking into her uncle's eyes. "I'm sorry about that, Jessica, and that you had to go through that. Please, I want us to talk. You have to come with me, okay?"

"Actually I don't think she's going to go anywhere with you, Hector." Hector's eyebrows rose and the color drained from Jessica's face. They turned to see Tyler leaning against a wall, smirking widely. Sam and Melanie were tied down in swivel chairs, which explained how neither Hector or Jessica noticed anything going on. He'd managed to get the chairs, _and_ Jeremy outside without any trouble, locked Jeremy in the car and tied the girls down and brought them inside just as Lenny died.

"Tyler? What are you doing?"

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Well, Lenny's no more. In a way, it's sad. Now Hector begins to see Tyler's true position. Big chapter coming up next, who's going to win out? Stick around to see Tyler versus Hector and Jessica. This chapter was particularly gruesome, yeah, but it had to be done. I bet you expected to see Jeremy versus Lenny, but he'll have his battle, and it won't be Lenny, obviously.


	57. Father's Day: A Father's Sacrifice

Boarded

A/N:

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Chapter 57 (Father's Day: Father's Sacrifice)

Hector looked at his daughters tied in the brown swivel chairs, the ropes around their waists, arms, and backs. Their arms were tied to the arm rests and their mouths had towels in them. "Tyler…What are you doing?" Tyler closed the door and locked it, just in case anyone tried to come in. He had not had time to kill Jeremy, since he wanted to work fast. He didn't want to kill Jeremy, whatever was inside wasn't letting him, he just wanted to do something to torment him. Hector's eyes met Sam's and Melanie's, they were terrified. Try as she might, not even Sam could hide her fear. "What are you doing with my daughters?"

"It's not what I'm doing to them, it's what I'm going to do to your niece." Jessica gasped and backed up against the wall, pressing her fingertips hard against them. Hector glanced at her, then back to Tyler, huffing dangerously. "Now I expect you to not complain, not do anything. Believe me, I don't want to have to subdue you. Though I will, if I must."

"So is that what all this was about? All this time?" He closed his hands, his heart wrenching inside of him. He felt like he was being stabbed, and betrayal hurt. "You've just wanted to get close to my daughters, to my niece? Is that it?" Sam nodded her head and Tyler slowly drifted his eyes over.

"Yes. I'm surprised you figured that out." Hector placed his hand to his stomach, he felt incredibly sick. How did he not see this before? How did he not know? Was Tyler just that good at disguising the facts? No, in his blinde rage and concern for his family, he failed to notice the biggest threat to them of all! Crap. Tyler rolled his head to the side and tapped the gun holster at his hip, he didn't want to use the pistol right away. He wanted Hector to fight, he wanted the chance to humiliate this guy in front of his daughters, in front of his niece. "I needed to find Jessica, and when I learned she was your _niece_, I just knew I needed to get close to you…What I have planned is going to torture her, your daughters, and Jeremy as well." Hector paled and Jessica moved to the kitchen, she wasn't going to take this sitting down. Tyler's eyes darted over and he shrugged, he wasn't too worried about her getting away, the front door was the only entrance and the only exit. "So I signed up as your bodyguard and stuck with you for a while. "So now that we're here, I don't need you anymore."

"Y-You sick fuck…"

"Oh you don't even know the half of it." Tyler slowly licked his lips and narrowed his eyes. Hector wasn't exactly knowledgeable about this sadist's past, if he was, he surely wouldn't have been around a child molester, a rapist. Pity he wasn't always this sadistic. His mind clenched and he quickly shook the voice back, drowning it with his hate. "Would you like to know my plan? I intend to slowly kill Samantha 'Jackie' Puckett, her sister's an innocent bystander, but she's a witness thanks to you wanting to talk to your daughters…" Tyler shrugged with boredom as the twins looked at each other in a frenzied panic. "So she'll die too, all because daddy wants to be a part of their lives."

"Bastard!" Hector clenched his teeth and Tyler held his index finger up.

"See what I want to do first, though, is humiliate them. I was surprised to see Jessica and Jeremy were getting close, so I thought…a way to hit my son where it hurts as well…I may not _kill_ her, not right away." Tyler smirked evilly and Hector could see the sadism in the man's eyes. He swallowed deeply as his daughters watched this dangerous man. "No, I'm going to show her true fear, I'm going fuck her in front of her cousins, then let her live…" The twins exclaimed and Jessica froze just before grabbing one of the knives from the kitchen drawer. Her eyes widened and her hand shook nervously, had she heard correct? Hector roared, the fire surrounding his body as he grabbed Tyler by the throat and slammed him against the wall.

"The hell you will! You won't touch my niece! You won't do anything to my daughters! I will not let you!" This man couldn't live, this very sick and disturbed man _must_ die. "I was wrong about you, you're not just a dangerous person…you're Satan!" Tyler's mind flashed back to the days of his children's youth, the kids circling him, laughing with him on the beach and singing jubilant songs. He closed his eyes and shook his head, growling softly. Now was hardly the time. He exhaled and started to focus. Damn Hector's fatherly ways.

"I was afraid of this happening, but I'm not surprised. You just made a bad mistake deciding to protect your girls." Sam turned her head over to her father in time to see Tyler knee him in the abdomen and slam him into the ground. Her eyes widened and Hector rose up, swiftly slamming his fist into Tyler. Her heart started beating heavily in her chest. Hector actually _cared_, she couldn't believe it, he was trying to _save_ them! Tears fled her eyes and she wanted to cheer him on, something she never even dreamed she would end up doing. _"At least he's not hurting his children. WAIT, WHAT? Yeah that's right, I'm talking to you. Not too happy with things...WHO GIVES A FUCK? Well, I kind of do, okay no, I do. I DON'T! LEAVE ME BE! No." _Tyler placed his fingers to his temples and moaned slightly, he was trying his best to keep himself sharp.

"You are a sick, fucking, asshole!" His eyes widened as Hector cut him in the side, while unexpected, the sadist seemed unfazed by the blow. Rather, he had a very bored expression on his face as he lifted his eyes up and placed his hand on Hector's wrist.

"I'm not Lenny, I'm the worst motherfucker that you, or anybody else, will _ever_ come across." Hector's eyes widened as Tyler narrowed his eyes, ignoring the extreme pounding in his head. _"You weren't once like that. I'M YOU, MOTHERFUCKER! No...I'm what 'died' in that first electric shock that allowed you to take over. You're not me, you're just a mere demon. A devil that was at one time dormant until that one incident. SHUT UP. No. I want to expulge you from my body. NOT FUCKING HAPPENING! BESIDES, WE'D HAVE TO DIE! I know..." _Hector was about to take the opportunity to strike, but Tyler wasn't letting that happen. _"OH FUCK NO, QUIT DISTRACTING ME ASSHOLE! No."_

Jessica's heart pounded as she heard Hector scream in aguish from the living room. This knife she had wasn't going to work, but what else was there? Lenny was an odd boy, he had to have _something!_ Her eyes widened and her lips curled into a grin. _"Explosives! Lenny has explosives!"_ She ran into a hallway, trying to figure out where Lenny's bedroom was, there was a strong possibility Lenny had some explosives in there. She was going to fight, she was not the type to run, unless the situation was completely, totally helpless.

Jeremy slowly opened his eyes and moaned, it happened _again_. How the hell was he always getting knocked out? At this rate he might end up having a concussion. His mind reeled as he adjusted his vision and tried to look around at his surroundings. Where was Jessica? Jessica! He had to protect her!

Tyler grunted as Hector punched him and threw him into a nearby wall. Hector then took Sam and Melanie and moved their chairs along a wall, so they would be out of the battlefield. Tyler laughed as he rose to his feet, bleeding from all over. "I'm not out yet, Hector!" Hector was breathing heavily and covered in blood from head to toe, but he was nowhere near finished either. He sneered and started to go towards him, but Sam tapped his leg, so he looked to her. She mumbled and he removed her gag. "What is it, Samantha?"

"Dad! You do care?"

"Of course I do! I'm just an abusive prick because I grew up…oh fuck it, you know that story already." Sam slowly smiled as Melanie watched Tyler with increasing fear. The sadist was on the move, slowly approaching Hector.

"Dad…kick his ass…"

"I will, don't worry. Daddy's got your back." Melanie let out a muffled scream and Hector turned around in time for Tyler to hit him hard in the stomach. He shouted and sucked in the air through his teeth as he stumbled across the room.

"Fuck you, Hector. Fuck you, and fuck your fucking family." Hector moaned as Tyler slammed his elbow into his chest. Of course he couldn't kick the big man, it was too difficult with the bad leg. He then proceeded to slam his fist into Hector's face. Stopping only when his mind pulsed once more, much to his chagrin. _"He's a family man. You know what? NO, I DON'T KNOW AND I DON'T FUCKING CARE, I HATE-OH HOLY SHIT!" _Hector grabbed his wrist and spun him around, throwing him into the couch.

After searching Lenny's bedroom, she finally found a box of fireworks and odd objects that he'd built himself. She wasn't sure how dangerous they were, but she was sure about one thing, they were enough to scare the shit out of Tyler. They had to, right? She lifted her eyes nervously and started to sweat as she whispered to herself. What could scare a dangerous sadist bent on revenge and torture?

Jeremy adjusted his vision appropriately to see that he was trapped in the car, and he was sure he smelled gas. His eyes widened and he stared out the window where he saw a broken window on the house and Lenny's body laying sprawled out on the grass amid broken glass, he winced and turned his attention back to the car. His ankles were tied, as were his wrists tied in front of himself. He tried to pull his wrists apart to tear the rope, his only thought on Jessica. "Shit, who put me in this?" Then he remembered hearing Hector's voice just before being hit into unconsciousness, add that with the fact that Lenny's dead, bloody, corpse was lying outside his house, and he was certain Hector was in there. If so, then that meant _Tyler_ was there too! Then it clicked, his father was fucking _toying_ with him! He knew he wasn't going to die in this! He wanted a plan for something, to delay Jeremy. "Fuck! Jessica!" He cussed again and began looking around for something that could cut these ropes. The smell of gas started to grow stronger, too strong. He shouted and instinctively kicked out the car window, then bent upwards and used the broken window to cut through the ropes on his wrist. Finally, he was free!

Hector doubled over onto the couch, wiping the blood from his mouth. Tyler was really giving him the beat down, how could this one person be so terribly strong? Tyler pulled his gun from the holster and the twins gasped, watching with wide eyes. "Dad!" Hector peered upwards and groaned as he stared down the barrel of the weapon. Tyler sneered and tilted his head.

"Happy Father's Day, Hector Puckett. I'm sure your daughters and your niece are grateful for everything you've done for them today, but…you've failed." He started to cackle, but stopped, fighting the sensation stopping him from pulling that trigger. Hell no, he was _not_ passing this opportunity up. Hector tried to move, but he was too weak. He glanced one last time at his daughters and closed his eyes, he had failed them. He'd been used, he'd been a terrible, terrible person, but maybe they didn't hate him now. If they didn't hate him, that was all that really mattered.

"I'm sorry girls…" Sam and Melanie whimpered, tears running down their cheeks. They wanted their dad, they wanted him to live. "I love you Sam, I love you Melanie. Always…" The girls looked at their father tearfully and were about to interrupt, but stopped when Tyler let out a loud grunt.

"Aw, so touching." Tyler's voice was laced with sarcasm and hatred, his eyes reeled with disgust. The twins screamed out, Jessica stood in the kitchen doorway with her eyes wide and fearful. Her heart pounded in her chest and she closed her eyes and clenched every muscle in her body. She hated this person, for everything he'd done to them. "Goodbye, Puckett." An explosion rang out and Hector's body twitched, the blood poured down his face and smoke came from Tyler's gun. "It's a good look for you." Silence as everything stilled for a few moments. _"Oh my...HAH, BEAT THAT YOU FUCKING RIGHTEOUS BASTARD! He was just protecting his family, but you wouldn't know anything about that, now would you? OH QUIT THE SELF RIGHTEOUS BULLSHIT." _Then time returned to it's normal pace as a shout echoed through the air, realization dawning on the girls.

"Dad no!" Sam screamed in sheer horror and Melanie whimpered, their hearts ripping apart. He could have changed, they knew it was possible for people to change. He could have become the father they never had, and now he was gone. "No! No, no, no, no! Dad! Oh my god, Dad!" She sobbed bitterly and clenched her eyes shut, now it was Melanie's turn to try and comfort Sam, if only she could.

"You fucking evil man." Tyler looked over to Jessica, who was now glaring at him with nothing in her eyes but pure hatred. Never before had she hated someone as much as she hated him. Hector failed, so now it was up to her to save her cousins, and she would protect them with her life. "I'll take you out with these."

"With wha-" Jessica threw an oddly shaped device at Tyler and it exploded in the air, causing him to jump back and exclaim. What the hell had she found? "You bitch! Where did you get those?"

"Evidently Lenny made these, so now he's going to contribute to stopping you." Tyler stared at her with an arched eyebrow and laughed maniacally. Was she insane? She couldn't use explosives inside a house!

"If you want to save your cousins, using explosive devices aren't going to help you much. You could bring the ceiling down on all of us." He hated explosions. His mind reeled and he ignored the nagging thoughts. This was a bad time to worry about his conscience waking up. _"You know you're afraid of explosions, right? After your days at war. OH YOU AGAIN. You should stop now, you've done enough. DID I MENTION THAT I DON'T CARE? IF NOT, WELL THEN, I DON'T FUCKING CARE! I wouldn't expect you to...and for the record, I am _not _your conscience. I KNOW THAT, I KNOW WHO YOU ARE. Well good, and I know who you are, you crazed sadist of a demon." _Tyler took a step forward and smirked dangerously at Jessica. "You don't want to do that, now do you?" Jessica narrowed her gaze and shrugged.

"Whatever it takes to rid this place of _you_." Tyler raised his eyebrow as Jessica threw another explosive at him, it only caused smoke. He coughed and when the smoke cleared, he saw her running towards him. She kicked his gun from his hand and he shouted as she spun around to his back and side kicked him in the lower back.

"Bitch! Where the hell did you learn to fight?" Jessica smirked as he turned around and attempted to strike her. She ducked under his fist and slammed her own fist into his abdomen.

"Believe it or not, your son is a very good self-defense instructor. I'd like to add that he's really handsome and I think I'm falling for him."

"A hell of a time, and a hell of a person, to admit that to." Tyler's mind laughed and he growled at the intrusion. _"What do you think they were doing in that barn? I DON'T EXACTLY WANT TO KNOW. Well I'll put it this way, very proud of Jeremy. YEAH SHUT THE HELL UP."_

"I know. I just thought it'd be a nice Father's Day gift from us to _you_." Father's day, god that sucked for him. He rolled his eyes as she kicked him in the crotch and sent him hurtling to the ground. She dropped an explosive next to him and he shouted as he grabbed it and chucked it out the front door where it exploded and scared the living hell out of Jeremy. He then kicked Jessica's legs and pulled her to the ground, she yelled as he grabbed her throat and pinned her to the ground, glaring angrily into her eyes.

"Now hold still, damn it!" His mind flared, what was he doing? He clenched his eyes shut and shook away the thought. Jessica whimpered as he placed his hand on her abdomen and growled. "So. You and Jeremy, huh? Can't say I'm shocked…" Jessica struggled under his hold as he straddled her waist and held her wrist together with one hand. "Now, it's payback time…" That wasn't true, no it was, no it wasn't, what was happening to him? He couldn't keep focus, he _needed_ to keep focus. That damn fight with Hector, all that fatherly crap. Jesus, he was severely annoyed by it all.

"Long enough to get severely damaged?" She smirked and glared into his eyes, she wasn't about to back down. She needed to do whatever it took to save her cousins from this sadist, even if it meant him focusing on her. An explosion shook the ground outside and Jessica let out a gasp. Tyler grinned maliciously and laughed evilly.

"That would be my car, a sacrifice, but whatever it takes to kill Jeremy." He was ignoring his confidence, trying to destroy her. Did he think Jeremy really was dead? No, but it was up for grabs. _"A test, to see if my son really dies, doubtful…why would you kill your own son? YOU AGAIN? NO, I'M SURE JEREMY IS ALIVE. So tell me again, why are you doing things? IS HECTOR THE CAUSE OF YOU? JESUS CHRIST, I THOUGHT I'D PUSHED YOU AWAY. You can't push me away, not that easily. I'm with you till we die, I suppose. FUCK YOU." _No wonder he was acting like he had a death wish all of a sudden. He groaned and pushed the thoughts away as he stared down at Jessica. "So, congratulations, your beloved Jeremy should be dead now."

"W-What?" Her heart shattered and the color swept from her face. Had Jeremy been in that car? "You couldn't have…" Sam and Melanie closed their eyes, their hearts sinking as they knew he'd been locked in there. They knew what Tyler had done.

"I tied him up and left him in the back of my car, then let the monoxide float in, while producing some explosives of my own. He should now be up in flames." Jessica's body shook violently as the tears fled her eyes. Not again, she couldn't lose another man to _him!_ Terror wracked her body as he smirked dangerously, which made things worse. She couldn't take it anymore. If Jeremy was gone, then there was nothing left for her.

"I…I give up…" She whimpered softly and closed her eyes, she was going to die anyway, and if Jeremy was dead then she wanted to be with him. She didn't care what this man did to her. "Do whatever your sick heart wants, if it means I can be with Jeremy after…I…don't care."

"Jessica no!" This time it was Melanie who screamed, shrieking loudly. Tyler laughed and Melanie cried out. Jessica hardened her face and kept her eyes closed. "No! Don't you touch her! Leave her alone!"

"No, I want to see what it was that my son cares so much about her for." Jessica flinched and Melanie screamed once more. Sam cried out for Jessica to open her eyes, for her to stop him from doing anything. Jessica was deaf to her please, she was only going to think about Jeremy, only going to see his face. She thought she was hearing his voice now. His mind told him to stop, told him to release his son's love interest, but the darker side of him wanted to torture Jeremy, and this was the way to hit his son where it hurt. _"So this is how you're going to get back at your son? Whatever happened to being a father? SHUT UP! YOU DIED YEARS AGO, LEAVE ME THE FUCK ALONE! No, what you're doing...it's, well, it isn't holy. HOLY? WHO THE FUCK DO YOU THINK I AM, AND WHY ARE YOU ACTING LIKE SUCH A FUCKING _GOD_? I'm no god, I'm just...you know what I am...GO AWAY!"_ Tyler froze as he heard a familiar voice from behind him, it was about damned time. _"Aha, there he is. WOULD YOU...SHUT THE HELL UP? Hell no."_

"So you're going to give up the fight just like that, Jessica? Doesn't seem like you at all." It seemed so real, too real. Her eyes shot open and she saw Jeremy standing behind his father, arms crossed and eyes glaring at the sadist. Tyler's face was pale and he was frozen with uncertainty. Well, Jeremy definitely survived. "By the way, old timer. One…I care about her for her soul and heart, not her body, and two…get your fucking hands off of my girlfriend!" Well, that had not quite been established yet, but neither really cared at the moment. He grabbed Tyler's throat and the man was torn from Jessica with excessive force. She smiled happily as she stared up at this powerful man, this powerful man that was all hers. Tyler shouted in anguish as Jeremy threw him clear across the room, adrenaline pumping through his veins. "Jessica, get up and go to your cousins." She took no time at all in getting to her feet and running to Sam and Melanie, who were relieved that she was okay.

* * *

Well, a little more insight on what's going on in Tyler's mind. In case you didn't notice, his "conscience" is awake now. What is this "conscience" that claims not to be a conscience, but something else? Will this new development be a further problem for him? Stick around for the next chapter, the epic battle is finally here, Tyler and Jeremy go head to head against each other.


	58. Father's Day: Father versus Son

Boarded

A/N: Uploading this on the same day because of 2 reasons: 1) Moving the story along and 2) This was originally part of the last chapter but grew so long it became it's own chapter.

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Chapter 58 (Father's Day: Father Versus Son)

Tyler held his jaw as he slowly stood up and met his son's angry eyes, so full of fire. He cracked his head from side to side and took a step forward. "Well son, I'm surprised to see you survived that explosion. How did you manage to do it?" Jeremy smirked and glanced down at the gun next to his feet, Tyler's gun no doubt. He kicked the gun over to the girls, in case they needed to use it. His thoughts went back to Jessica for a moment and he raised his eyebrow. _"I hope he at least used protection..."_

"It's not the first time you've tried to kill me like that. I believe you knew I'd survive that." Tyler scoffed and narrowed his gaze upon Jeremy. Sure, he was plenty aware of how capable his son was, he was testing to see if he'd make it out alive, and of course, he did. Whatever was in his head was telling him that Tyler probably didn't want his son dead, but he fought that thought away. Jessica eyed Jeremy with concern, praying he would be all right. This was his moment now, and he wasn't going to give in until this man was dead. "Remember? I was just a kid sticking up for my brother, so you locked me in an old car and tried to light it up with gas…you were stupid enough to leave an object strong enough for me to shatter the window with."

"I didn't make that same mistake this time…" Tyler smirked and fought the pride that was trying to get into his eyes. _"How can you deny that you're proud of your son? OKAY, YOU BETTER STAY OUT OF THIS FIGHT, DO YOU UNDERSTAND ME? Oh, I understand. You want to kill him...YES, SO YOU WILL STAY OUT OF THIS? No..." _Tyler rolled his eyes as Jeremy folded his arms over.

"Oh no, you didn't make the same mistake, I commend you on that. Only, just remember that I _do_ know how to exercise and use my legs as powerful force." Tyler frowned as Jeremy tapped his foot on the ground. His legs were his greatest asset. "I'm a baseball player, _dad. _I make a living off of running every damn day, my legs are the strongest thing about me, how do you think I escaped?" Tyler frowned and his voice fell flat and hollow.

"Kicked in the window, did you, son?"

"Yes." Jeremy eyed his father's leg and smirked. John had told him everything about Tyler, including the bullet in the leg bit. "I'm going to go out on a limb here and say your legs suck ass." There was plenty of rage seeping through Jeremy in this instant, but nobody would notice enough to know. What Tyler did to Gibby, what he did to Shane, what he did to Sam and Melanie, what he did to those prison guards and their families, it was unforgivable. Jeremy scowled and narrowed his eyes. "I am proud to say that I'm changed my last name over."

"Oh are you?" He was a bit hurt by those words, but they were understandable. _"Dear god, of course he's not proud of bearing the name, it's like a name of evil to him." _Tyler groaned and clenched his eyes shut. Jeremy raised his eyebrows and tilted his head to the side, he wasn't sure what was up with his father, but at the same time, he did not care._ "STOP DISTRACTING ME." _Tyler's eyes shot open into a fiery glare as he clenched his hands so tightly, blood was almost being drawn. "Not too happy with me as your father, huh?"

"Yes, and if there were a way to change my DNA, I'd do that as well." Tyler rolled his eyes and crossed his arms over his chest, puffing it out and slowly breathing from his nose. "I regret that I must be _your _son. So on this Father's Day, I'm going to do everybody you've ever hurt a fucking _favor_."

"Is that so?"

"Tyler…"

"Oh, my name? How respectful of you." Jeremy closed his eyes as his father folded his arms over his chest. _"Well in every sense of meaning, 'you' are just a devil that isn't his father. OH FUCK YOU. Does it hurt? Does it hurt that Jeremy rejects you? I DON'T CARE! I know _you _don't...Satan, you must die today!"_

"I refuse to acknowledge you as my father!" If this was his attempt to smack Tyler in the face, it wasn't working. All it did was earn a very cold glare from the man. "For everybody you've ever hurt, I'm going to avenge them. I'm going to protect Jessica with my life, I will protect her cousins with my life, I will _kill_ you!" Tyler groaned and shook his head, his chest was burning and his mind spinning. Thoughts were flying at him at such a hastened pace.

Jessica felt her heart lift with pride as Sam and Melanie watched the two men with tears in their eyes. Jessica proceeded to untie her cousins, but they remained in their chairs, too afraid to move. Jessica knelt in front of them and placed her hands in her lap, glancing down at the gun in front of her. She hated guns, but they were a necessary evil. She wasn't going to use this one though. She glanced over to Hector's body on the couch and cringed, he'd given his _life_ to save them. _"Uncle Hector. Thank you."_ She moved her eyes to Jeremy and released a soft exhale. _"Jeremy, cripple him."_

Tyler laughed and charged Jeremy, having no doubts that he would be able to bring him down if he managed to bring down a man of Hector's large size. He threw a punch, but Tyler skidded under his arm, which felt like jello. "Damn it!" Hadn't he put full force into that punch? _"Oh I'm sorry. YOU'RE GETTING PHYSICAL NOW? I believe the term is 'stonger' the moer I'm awake, the stronger I am. SHIT!"_ This was going to prove a problem. He moved his eyes to the side as Jeremy let out one chuckle.

"I told you." Jeremy leapt up and spun around, kicking his leg up and smashing it into Tyler's back. Tyler yelled and felt his legs nearly buckle under him. "Baseball. I've toned my legs considerably!" Tyler growled dangerously and ran behind him, hoping to grab him from behind. Jeremy shouted out and kicked back, slamming his heel into Tyler's chest.

"Shit!" Why wasn't he fighting? Jeremy must be a good fighter, sure, but he had to be able to fight on par or else he was going to die. Then again, this thing in his mind was trying to regain control after being 'dead' for fourteen years. _"YOU'RE NOT GETTING ME! HELL NO!"_ Jeremy kicked into the air three times, but Tyler managed to jump to the side and avoid the flurry. He slammed his fist into Jeremy's back and pounded his other fist into him. "You can't fight me, son. I'm your father, whether you like it or not."

"No, my father is David Gibson." Tyler frowned as he felt the wind both figuratively, and physically, knocked out of him. He shook his head and roared as he threw another punch, though now he was more distracted than before. Due to this, Jeremy managed to grab his fist with his right hand and tighten it so much that Tyler felt the pain. "Nice try." He grabbed Tyler's stomach and pushed him up into the air, flipping him over his arm. Tyler screamed out in pain as his arm cracked. The girls winced as Jeremy threw the man onto the ground. Tyler landed flat on his back, his left arm lay limp above his head. His armpit was burning and his arm felt twisted beyond recognition. "Ooh, looked like it hurt. Well then…Happy Father's Day."

"You son of a bitch!" Tyler quickly rose to his feet, his left arm surging with pain as his muscles began to spasm like crazy. His nerves were stabbing him like crazy. _"Oh I'm sorry, it looks like he broke your arm. YOU FUCKING BASTARD! THAT HAD TO HAVE HURT YOU TOO! Not as much as it hurt you. Anyway, it should be interesting to see you fight without use of that particular part of your body. Plus, the bullet in your leg surely can't help much." _Why did this have to happen to him? Why did he have to be at war both mentally and at war with his son? How the hell had circumstances led him to this? "You broke my damn arm!"

"That's not the only thing in you that I'm about to break." Jeremy wouldn't hate his father if he wasn't such an evil man, if he hadn't done the things that he'd done. There may have been a better time, a happier time, but whenever it was, it was long gone and dead now. "You ruined my life. You sent me to juvenile, you killed my grandmother, you did things to my little brother, threatened the family of the girl I care about…and now you want to try and put your hands on my girlfriend? Where does it stop? Where the _hell_ does it stop?" Tyler frowned, feeling sick to his stomach. To his annoyance, this thing was able to control even that. Was he losing control of his own body? Two drops of water formed at the corner of Jeremy's eyes as he balled his fists up and shouted at his father, malice lacing his tone. "If you hate me so much, then why didn't you ever just come at me? Why hurt everyone else?"

"Because simply, that would not have been enough for me. I wanted to strike you where it hurt. I wanted to cause you emotional and mental suffering for life. Simple as that." Jeremy lowered his arms and frowned. So that was it? That's what he wanted to do? "But I figured once that girl started working on you…" Jeremy looked over at Jessica, then back to Tyler, narrowing his eyes in anger. "I'd already made you hardened, then she fucking healed you!" Jeremy smirked as Tyler's mind laughed at him again, damn he was proud of Jessica. _"I'M NOT PROUD OF, OH WAIT, YOU...Yes, that girl so got into him. You know what that means, don't you? You can't possibly get him."_

"Yeah, well you know what they say, love heals everything."

"Yeah whatever, then you get a fucking _family_ and find your _mother_ of all people!" That alone was enough to strengthen Jeremy's heart. Nothing was going right for Tyler, _nothing_. He hadn't made a goal of ruining his son's life, not until he noticed things going so well for him. "You get everything _I_ never fucking had!" Rage flooded his body and adrenaline began to pump. _"Well, actually did have that...but, you know-SHUT THE HELL UP, OKAY? JUST SHUT UP!" _A pause in the thought, but then a sudden stabbing pain shot through his gut. _"You won't psych him out. I won't let you!" _Tyler placed his hand on his stomach and moaned as he fought the feeling. _"LEAVE ME ALONE!" _Jeremy raised his eyebrow as the man roared out his anger, his eyes ablaze. "It should be my life, but you have it!"

"You know, normal fathers should be _happy_ when their children get the life they never had." It was true that before Jeremy was ever born, Tyler could only dream of having a 'normal' life, but people made that damn near impossible for him.

"Fuck you!" Tyler flipped his pocketknife out and ran to Jeremy, stabbing him in the side. Jeremy grunted in pain as Jessica cried out. Jeremy felt the sweat dripping down his neck as Tyler twisted the blade. "This is for the rodeo, son. You see this?" He lifted his shirt up to reveal a nasty scar in his side. Jeremy glanced down and frowned as Tyler pulled the blade from him and lowered his shirt. "You're going to get what's coming to you, my son. I don't give a _shit_ about your glorious new life. So what if you found a good father, so what if you have your mom, your brother, and another brother. So what if you've found someone who cares about you. So what if your life's shaping up to be exactly what you always wanted, exactly what that mother of yours always wanted. I don't _care_. In fact, I'm here to _ruin_ all that!" His rapid shouts kept his mind from intruding, but once he was done shouting, his mind returned, seemingly with a vengeance. _"We wanted all that for him too, demon. Or at least I did. SHUT UP! No. How many times must I say it?"_ Tyler's body twitched as his muscles started to spasm and burn, everything was killing him. His legs were shooting up with pain all over the place, his arm was near clinically dead, his chest was burning, his heart was racing, his body felt like it was shutting down on him! _"WHAT ARE YOU DOING TO ME? To you? To _you_? Since when did this body become _yours? _No, I'm doing something that should have been done long ago, but luckily for you, I was dormant due to that shock. Thank god for Hector delivering that accidental electric shock to your head a few days ago! FUCK YOU, ASSHOLE! Oh believe me sadist, you've seen nothing yet. Nothing! NO, NO! I STILL CONTROL THIS BODY!" _Tyler swept his hand through the air and glared at Jeremy with a dangerous grin. "Son, can't you feel it?"

"You…" Jeremy placed his hand over his wound and stepped back, panting a bit as the blood seeped over his fingers. "You want to turn me into you? You want to make me lose my mind, make me go crazy, make me become nothing…fill my heart with evil?" Tyler smirked as the malice flashed through his eyes and the blood dripped from the knife.

"You are my son, after all."

Jeremy's eyes rested on the knife and he slowly breathed in, then slowly exhaled. "No. You will _never_ do that, because I am _not you!_ And another thing, I am _not_ your son and you are _not_ my father."

"Then die, because you are nothing to me and you will never _be_ anything to me." Sweat drenched him as he watched his father twirl his knife in his fingers. Jessica, Sam and Melanie all eyed the gun on the floor, pondering if they should use it. Jeremy was doing everything he could to protect them, just as Hector had done all he could, so maybe they should do something. Jeremy looked past Tyler, through the kitchen door and out the window directly behind him. It was such a beautiful day, why was it beautiful days had to be so blood soaked? So long ago, it would have been a beautiful day. _"Loved that beach back then...BEACH? WHO GIVES A SHIT. It was the place we went..."_

"You are a failure as a father, and you will always be a failure as a father." Tyler rolled his eyes as Jeremy charged him once more. He then swirled behind Jeremy and grinned maliciously, his back facing the door. Jeremy turned around and his eyes widened as he saw the glint of the blade coming for him. Jessica cried out and Jeremy quickly put his hand on Tyler's wrist, trying to push his hand away. Tyler growled and continued trying to push.

"You're a failure as a son!"

"Fuck you!"

"Fuck you right back!" Jeremy wasn't going to die, not here, not now. He couldn't. Tyler's body froze and he struggled for total control of his body, but it wasn't working. Something was wrong. Jeremy looked over to the girls and frowned, thinking of them. They watched him with wide eyes, and started to reach for the gun. Jeremy shifted his eyes to the front door and let out a single grunt. Maybe a last 'attempt' at pleasant father to son conversation before this man died. "Hey Tyler. I never knew you went to war."

"Yeah, I was overseas…what of it?" Tyler grunted, sweat dripped down his forehead as he moved his eyes to the knife. Such a simple act shouldn't be so difficult, but he could barely even move his arm. _"I told you, I won't let you kill him."_

"I may hate you with every fiber in my being, but any soldier is a good soldier, until they screw over their commanding officer big time. You hear me?" Tyler narrowed his eyes and started to push the knife forward with greater strength, bringing the tip of the blade closer to Jeremy's chest. Then he lost it, all control was gone and his wrist froze. He cussed mentally and looked upwards.

"What the fuck are you saying? What do you care?"

"Don't know what you did to piss him off on the battlefield, but yeah…I thought I should say this again…" Tyler met Jeremy's eyes and frowned, his son was staring past him. What was Jeremy looking at? Maybe he was imagining what it was like to be a sniper. That's when he saw it, a reflection in Jeremy's eyes. Tyler's eyes widened as Jeremy looked at him, he caught a glimpse of gratitude in the man's eyes, much to his surprise. "Happy Father's Day."

_"Here it is, Demon. FUCK YOU, TYLER! Say my name all you want, doesn't change the fact that I won...Jeremy won..." _A shot rang out and everything froze. Tyler grunted and his face froze in shock as the girls all stared, their mouths agape. The knife in Tyler's hand fell as his eyes slowly moved upwards, as though trying to see the exit wound of a sniper's bullet through his forehead. Tyler's body crashed to the ground and Jessica pushed herself up, running to Jeremy. _"NO! Finally, freedom! Freedom from you! FUCK YOU!" _Tyler was split, with the demon in him shooting to hell. His spirit evaporated into mist as Jessica called out Jeremy's name. He looked over to her, holding out his arms and smiling as she ran into his arms.

"Jeremy, oh god Jeremy…" She placed her hands on his chest and wept, letting her tears soak into his chest as he wrapped her arms tightly around her. Sam and Melanie rose to their feet and moved over to their father's body, kneeling beside him and closing their eyes as the wet tears streaked down their cheeks. Jessica trailed her hand down to his wound and choked out a sob. He acted so tough, like it didn't hurt him, but he didn't want her to see him in pain. She wrapped her arms around him, her heart pounding.

Jeremy kissed her forehead softly and lifted his head up, meeting his eyes with the eyes of the sniper. General John Trent stood in the doorway, his gun lowered and face hardened. He followed all of Sam's hints and waited for the perfect opportunity. He knew there was no other choice, either Tyler had to die, or he would only become worse. The two men smiled at each other and John lifted his hand in a salute. Jeremy had given him the greatest Father's Day gift, the trust and assurance that he would always protect not only his nieces, but his daughter, no matter what. Jeremy mouthed his words. "Thank you, Mr. Trent."

"One day, you will make a great soldier, son." Jeremy held Jessica closer and drifted his eyes to Tyler's body. It seemed an ironic death. He felt a rush of emotions, and looked to Jessica, then his mind became clear and centralized. A wave of peace washed over him as Jessica tenderly gazed into his eyes. No more would she be haunted by either Lenny or even Tyler, even though Tyler was never truly after her. He really only wanted Jeremy. Jeremy slowly brushed Jessica's hair aside and pointed to the door. Everybody looked at John and their bodies relaxed, they were finally safe.

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The second I wrote him looking at Tyler's body, Everclear's song "Father of Mine" began playing on my youtube playlist XD. So this is the conclusion of Tyler's life. Hope you enjoyed the battle, hope it was as intense for you as it was for me. If you dont know what was in Tyler's mind that he was fighting, well, it won't be explained for a while. The fathers may be gone, but it won't be the last they're mentioned, talked about, or even, yes, seen. The conclusion to the Father's Day arc, next chapter. Then we will see a brief arc which brings more of Freddie and his mother into light. Then the final emphasis on all fathers and pasts, then the story begins wrapping up. I'm actually pretty sure, and hoping, not to hit anywhere near chapter 100...


	59. Father's Day: Lone Wolf No More

Boarded

A/N:

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Chapter 59 (Father's Day: Lone Wolf No More)

Jeremy sat on a hospital bed with Jessica in the room next to him, holding his hand. He'd just had his stab wound cleaned, flushed, and bandaged after what seemed like an eternity of a doctor and nurses surrounding him. Now he could relax and all he wanted was Jessica with him, his family was outside giving the two privacy. Gibby was busy consoling Guppy, who was crying because he was afraid his oldest brother was gravely injured. David had Charlotte in his arms, the two were relieved that Jeremy was safe. With Gibby, was Sam, who he was also trying to console, but oddly wasn't having much difficulty.

Freddie, Jonah, and Valerie had rushed to the hospital when they heard Jeremy and the girls were at the hospital after a kidnapping. Freddie wanted to be there for Melanie while Jonah and Valerie were there for emotional support. Pam was already there, holding her daughters and weeping bitter tears when she heard the whole story of what had happened with Hector. Janet and John were against the wall of the hallway, John was watching the hospital door while Janet held on to him, they were both very happy that everyone was okay. The girls had been looked over and it was decided that they were in top shape, Tyler hadn't done anything damaging to them, hence they were not in any rooms themselves.

"Melanie!" Melanie looked up as Freddie rounded the corner. His heart was racing and his eyes were wide, his thoughts rushing in a frenzied panic. Melanie was seated on a hospital bench and smiled at him as he ran beside her, Jonah and Valerie were close behind. "Are you okay? What happened?" She sniffed and ran her hand on the back of her head, feeling a slight bump.

"I'm fine Freddie, now I am." She took his hand and placed her head on his shoulder. She knew what she was in for, nightmares for quite some time. "Just hold me." He nodded and wrapped his arms protectively around her. Why hadn't he been there? Why hadn't he been able to protect her? He didn't know what was going on, that was all. He and Jonah were at their father's grave. "That madman came back, Freddie. That madman…" He raised his eyebrows as she let out a slight sob. "Dad tried to protect us, tried to save his little girls from Tyler."

"Tyler?" He looked up to Pam, who was leaning against the wall next to them, her hand covering her eyes. Her heart was breaking, the news she'd heard was overbearing. She moved her hand down, revealing red eyes. Marissa walked around the corner with two coffee cups in her hand, she smiled at Pam and handed her one cup. The woman graciously took it as her friend stood next to her. Freddie looked back to Marissa and ran his hand through her hair, a rush of panic and anger mixed into him when he felt the bump on her. "Who did that to you?"

"It was Tyler, he hurt both me and Sam, knocked us out and threw us in the car…" Freddie closed his eyes as Jonah placed his hand on his brother's shoulder. It was a calming effect, one that was very needed, because Freddie had to keep his cool. Tyler was dead now, getting angry wouldn't do a thing. "Daddy…he…" Melanie sniffed as Freddie met her eyes. What had Hector done? She said he tried to protect them? "He didn't know Tyler was using him all this time…just, just to get close to Jeremy and Jessica."

"You said he tried to save you girls…"

"He did, he fought Tyler until…" The image of her father's body flashed through her mind. She screamed and threw her hands to her head, clenching her eyes shut as the images of blood and death shot through her head, as the fear ran rampant through her mind. How could something like this have happened? Why did they have to lose their father? Why was there so much evil in the world? She sobbed and Freddie pulled her close, rubbing her back. He looked to Jonah and Valerie, nodded for them to give them some space, so they left for the hospital food court around the corner.

"It's okay Mel, I'm right here. That man can't hurt you anymore, nobody can hurt you." In hindsight, it was not important that he had been there or not to save her from them. Hector and Jeremy did that on their own. What was important was that he was there now, and he knew this from the bottom of his heart. "They won't hurt you anymore, I promise." He softly kissed her forehead and she rested her head on his shoulder as his kiss sent feelings of peace down her spine and through all her nerve impulses.

"I love you, Freddie."

Sam was leaning back against a wall, her arms folded over and her eyes shut. A few feet in front of her, Gibby was kneeling down in front of Guppy and being sure to console him. David and Charlotte glanced over at them, then to Sam, who looked to be fighting back her tears. Charlotte stepped forward and dropped to one knee. "Guppy, Guppy dear come here, he needs to be with Sam right now." Guppy looked at his mother and smiled as he ran into her arms, he understood that Sam needed Gibby more than he did, but he didn't understand why. Perhaps in time, he would.

"Is Jeremy really okay?" Guppy wiped his eyes as Charlotte smiled and lifted him up. She turned him to the door, so he could look through the window.

"See for yourself, sweetie." Guppy smiled when he saw Jessica and Jeremy hugging and talking. Jessica was currently going on about the medical stuff, looking about the room and inspecting all the medical items in the room, trying to know that Jeremy was really okay. He was laughing and smiling, loving her sweet gestures. "You see? Jeremy is perfectly fine. He'll probably come home tonight, okay?"

"Okay mommy!" Gibby smiled at this and rose to his feet, then turned to Sam. He held his arms out and she moved to him, wrapping her arms around his neck and kissing his lips. She wanted to forget about everything, and hoped his kiss would make it happen. For the length of the kiss, it did, but when she pulled away, she remembered her father's final words.

"Dad died so we'd be safe, Gibby."

"I know." He held onto her tightly as she fought back her tears. "Sam, you know it's okay to cry." He knew it was just how she was, he knew she hated to show pain of any kind. "You know, in a way it was you that saved everyone. If you didn't contact your Uncle, who knows what would happen. You're going to make a _great_ soldier when you join the military!" Her lips began to curl upwards as she met his wonderful, fantastic eyes. How was it in such a time he could make her smile so easily?

"I used Morse Code to tell him everything. Even in the last second before Tyler pulled us from the car, I managed to confirm that we were in front of Lenny's home." She flipped her hair back proudly. Unlike Melanie, the sight of dead bodies bothered her only a little bit. When they saw Lenny's body thrown out the window, Melanie was the one who screamed, she was the one who had to console her twin. Jessica was tough as well, the bodies wouldn't be a huge problem for her. If they had nightmares, it wouldn't be nightmares about the ones who died, there'd be nightmares about Tyler.

"I'm proud of you." Gibby smiled and brought his hand to her cheek, gently and softly running it up and down. "I have a very smart girlfriend." She smiled and peered into his eyes, he was doing such a good job in making her feel better, she almost couldn't take it. Chucking once, she closed her eyes and wrapped her arms tightly around him.

"Would you stop it?"

"Stop what?"

"Making me feel good, of course." He laughed and tightened his embrace on her. She knew no matter how strong she was, even she needed someone to love her, to hold her in times like these. "I need you with me, in my life, Gibby." His heart swelled inside him and tears actually came to his eyes. To know she needed him meant the world to him. It was her way of saying she loved him.

"I love you too." She smiled and closed her eyes, resting her head upon his shoulder, sighing as her cheek pressed the cool leather of his jacket. What had she ever done to deserve someone like him in her life? She couldn't think of anything, but above all, she was glad to have him, and would never take advantage of that. As long as he was there to love her, then she was in heaven every day.

In the hospital room, Jeremy eyed the people outside his door, a lot were gathering around. He oddly felt very good, so good to be a part of a pack. "Are you certain they're not all here for you?" Jessica laughed and sat next to him, rubbing her finger on his hand. It was cute how he kept trying to say they weren't there for him. She placed her head upon his shoulder and breathed out.

"Everybody out there is practically singing your praises. Yours, Dad's, and even Uncle Hector." He chuckled nervously and let his lips mesh into a smile. "I know you've always been somewhat of a 'lone wolf' up till now…" He lifted his eyebrows and nodded, he had definitely considered himself as such for a good portion of his life. "But you're not, anymore. You're surrounded now by people who love you more than anything, by people who _know_ you're a good person. You don't need to be a lone wolf, because you're not alone. They trust you out there."

He felt his heart rise up, no longer did he feel like he was bound by chains. No longer did he feel like he would be haunted and hunted by his father, no more would he have to live in a world of fear. He had somebody who loved him, and it felt damn good. He had a family, a pack. So much so that he was almost afraid if he took a single step out there, every single person would end up hugging him. "You don't think they'd start attacking me with hugs, do you?" Jessica laughed and poked him playfully in the arm.

"Maybe. At least I know Mom and Aunt Pam would. You saved their daughters, you're a freaking hero!" She laughed again and hugged his neck. He moved his eyes to her and placed his hand on her side, smiling peacefully. "You're my hero." She lifted up and kissed his lips gently, no hesitation whatsoever. "You'll always be my hero." She placed her forehead against his and closed her eyes, feeling his soft breath upon her lips. The memory of the day's events were like wildfire through her mind, but the fact that he was there, the fact that he fought so hard for them, was enough to keep her from falling to pieces.

"I can say the same about you, Jess." She opened her eyes curiously as she felt Jeremy take her hands in his. Her heart pulsed as he gently squeezed them and smiled at her. "You saved me from a lot of pain. You loved me, when I was sure nobody would. You showed me that I didn't have to spend my life alone. You showed me I had reason enough to be a part of this world." She pulled her head back and smiled as she watched him move his hand to his chest. "This heart…was once made of stone. You chipped it away, piece by piece, over the years. It was always you, and it will always _be_ you who remains closest to my heart."

"God…" She blushed as he moved his arms around her waist and pulled her close to him. She accidently brushed against his wound, causing him to wince briefly. Her eyes went large and she looked down. "Oh! Your wound! I'm sorry."

"Don't be, it's fine." He smiled at her and she held his eyes for a moment. Her face softened and she gently moved her arms to his neck. "Flesh wound."

"Oh really?" She eyed him skeptically and smirked. She loved how he tried to act all tough and strong, when she knew he was really in pain. After the whole showdown with his father, a lot of emotions must have hit him. He was probably in a lot of pain, so much so that she considered he was the one that needed her more in this moment than she needed him. "You know Jeremy, we fit together so well…like pieces of a puzzle. Just like Freddie and Melanie, or Gibby and Sam, we're perfect together."

"If you say so." He smirked and gazed into her eyes. He had to agree. Everybody out there seemed to mesh perfectly with their partner, with their lover, with their soul mate. Sam and Gibby needed each other because they needed some stability, some balance in their lives. Freddie and Melanie needed each other because he needed someone with a pure heart and she needed someone with a pure heart, but a little toughness so she would know that she would never need to be afraid of anyone or anything. David and Charlotte fit perfectly because she needed someone who could show her the world, be the answer to her dreams, and be able to be strong for her. Janet and John needed each other for the same reasons that Jeremy needed Jessica and she needed him. Everybody loved the other because they knew and they recognized that there would be a void somewhere in their hearts without the person they needed in their lives. "So I need you in my life. I know that. You're an angel, Jessica."

"Angel?" She started to blush again, and just when her blush had begun to go away. She never looked at herself as an angel. If he said it, then he meant it. She knew that about him. It was funny to her, through all the years of knowing each other, they had always been, truly, closer to each other than they were to anybody else they knew.

"Yes, and I would do anything and everything for you." She blinked and tapped her chin.

"Would you jump for me?"

"How high?" He smirked and she laughed once, then tightened her embrace and met his eyes. _"God I love you, Jessica."_ The second those words appeared in his mind, the blood rushed to his cheeks. Her lips parted and she searched his eyes, and what she found, astonished her but did not surprise her. Love, trust, honesty, the world. He looked to the door and saw everyone huddled together, talking to one another. Jessica looked through the window as well and smiled. _"I love all of them too._" He smiled lightly and closed his eyes. "I never thought I could feel this way about _anyone_, I thought for sure…I would have nothing in my heart."

"Well you're human, you're supposed to feel things." Her voice was soft, soothing to his ears. "Maybe it just means that you've met the right person, the right people. Altogether, we're just like a giant puzzle, forming this beautiful, _beautiful_ image of love, of family, of trust." Tears started to come to her eyes, but they were not of sadness, rather joy. "All the pieces of the puzzle are coming together to form this large collage. I'm almost certain, if anything happened to you, every single person out there would never feel truly complete."

"You think they'd miss me that much?"

"Jeremy…" She turned her head to him and smiled as he met her eyes. They held their gaze for a moment as she circled her thumb on the back of his head. "When they found out what happened, the first thing they asked other than the obvious, about me or about my cousins, was how _you_ were doing. Every one of them wanted to know that you were okay, they needed to know that crazed man didn't hurt you." Tears started to sting his eyes and he fought them back, he wasn't going to cry, he was never going to cry. She smiled at him and tilted her head, seeing that he was about to cry. She wanted to see those tears, she wanted to see them and let him know it was _okay_ to cry. "Go on, let them out."

"I don't want to…"

"It won't hurt, I promise. You'll feel good."

"How does one feel good about crying?" He raised an eyebrow and stared at her for a moment as she lowered her hands and took his hand in hers.

"Because you _need_ to cry. You've just gone through pain, an eternity of torment and hell. Your father was your devil, but now he's gone." Jeremy's worst suffering, greatest anguish, was never having had a real father. Never having a real family. He closed his eyes and felt his heart wrench with pain. His father wanted him _dead_ for so long, and was willing to go so far as to try and assault Jessica just to hurt him. "You have a real family now, you have a mom and a dad, a _real_ dad. You have two brothers who love you very much, and…a girlfriend that thinks you are her whole world."

"Really?" He smiled as Jessica moved her arms around his waist and held him close.

"Don't be afraid to let it out, it's a long time waiting…just cry." He pressed his lips together as she watched him. His body began to shake as his heart started twisting and his stomach churning. Why couldn't he have had a normal childhood? Why had his father hated him so much? Why had his dad caused him so much pain, tried to ruin his life, tried to destroy all he had? Did he deserve what he had now? Yes. Would he strive to protect what he had? Yes. Jessica was his world, his family was his world. Everybody was his world. Then it happened, he let his tears go. Jessica watched as the tears flowed like waterfalls.

She let him cry, but did not think any less of him. How could anyone think less of him? Tears were not a sign of being any less masculine. Even her father, who must be the manliest man alive, has wept bitter tears before. "It hurts, Jessica…"

"I know it does…" The pain struck him, threatening to destroy him. This was why he hated to cry, it didn't feel like the tears would ever stop flowing. Jessica's tears dripped slowly down her cheeks and she looked outside. She could see the astonished faces of her cousins, staring at their own boyfriends, who were crying for their girlfriends as well. Perhaps tears of joy, she pondered. Jessica smiled and looked to Jeremy. "Nobody ever thinks less of a man who cries, sometimes…they love him more."

She leaned forward and kissed his lips. His eyes widened as he felt her love pouring into him. The pain in his heart seemed to slip away, as though none of it mattered anymore. She was there, and she loved him too. He closed his eyes and wrapped his arms around her, his eyes finally slowing the pace on the waterworks. The love he felt from her, from his family, it seemed to wash away the sordid memories, the pain. He was shocked, she was right. Crying did feel good, but it didn't mean he was going to make a habit of it. If anything, she taught him to be open.

They pulled breathlessly from their kiss and locked their eyes together. _"I do love you, Jeremy. With all my heart, I love you, and I will always love you."_ They weren't sure they were ready to openly say it, but they were sure they could feel the other feeling it. "Those things you said, are we really boyfriend and girlfriend?"

"If you want to be…" It had been in the heat of the moment when he told Tyler to stay away from his girlfriend, he hadn't even thought about what he said. He wanted it to be that way. She smiled and nodded her head, she was all his and he was all her. It made her happier than anything. "You think your cousins would have a problem with it?" He chuckled and Jessica laughed. After everything, she knew Melanie would never have had a problem with it before, Sam she wasn't sure about, but now she was pretty sure both girls would be thrilled.

"Hell, they'd probably give us hell if we _weren't_ going steady. Now come on, the doctors already said you could actually leave, so let's get out there. Everyone's waiting on you."

"They are?" He looked to the window, then back to Jessica, smiling. "I mean, yeah, they are." He rose from the hospital bed and Jessica draped her arm around his chest and free hand on his right arm. The two walked out of the room and soon all eyes fell upon Jeremy. He smiled at them and they smiled right back. Nobody needed to speak a word, for they all accepted him, and he could see that in their eyes. He was a part of their extensive family, their pack, and he fit right in. Their eyes spoke their words for them, spoke their gratitude, their acceptance, and above all, their love. He felt Guppy attach himself to his legs and Gibby place his hand on his shoulder, smiling at him. Sam and Melanie walked over to him and gave him a hug together while Freddie and Jonah smiled at him. John smirked and gave him a thumbs up and Janet held a similar look to the look Charlotte was giving him. David gazed at him with a feeling of pride. A serene expression came over his face as Jessica watched him and squeezed his hand. Finally, he was happy and at peace.

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Hope you liked this chapter. The next details Freddie going back to the school.


	60. New Welcoming Committee

Boarded

A/N:I may start uploading two chapters a day just with how many chapters I got up. Then again, maybe not. I don't know. I'm on the 83rd chapter right now...I expect 90 to be the final chapter.

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Chapter 60 (New Welcoming Committee)

A month later, Freddie was in his dorm room with Melanie and Kevin, learning everything he needed to know about the campus. It was boring as hell, but he had to do it. Melanie went back early because he was, she was still having nightmares, but not as much. She was beside herself with laughter whenever Freddie groaned at yet another point Kevin had. "Why does it matter that the cafeteria has one hundred and twenty five tables?" Freddie tightened his grip on the pen hovering over his notebook while Kevin laughed.

"Yeah it sounds stupid, doesn't it?" Kevin smirked as Freddie slowly glared at him. "You never know when some kid will actually ask that question." Freddie rolled out a growl and stared down at the notebook as he wrote down the number of tables.

"I might be liable to pop the kid on the head if they end up asking such a damn stupid question." Melanie couldn't contain her laughter and curled over on the bed, laughing very loudly. Freddie sighed and rubbed his temples, he couldn't be sure if she was making fun of him or not. "Stop laughing or I won't kiss you for a week." Melanie sat up quickly and eyed him, her lips slowly forming a smirk.

"You couldn't do that. I used that on you once and you nearly fell apart." Freddie blushed and Kevin smirked at him, he now had some teasing fuel. Freddie glared at Kevin, as if to tell him not to dare. Melanie jumped from the bed and sat next to him, holding her smirk. "I'm still laughing, by the way. In my head."

"Fine then, I won't kiss you for a week." Melanie then pouted her head and let her eyes grow wide. Freddie watched her and frowned as her eyes began to shake. "No, that won't work on me." Kevin watched in amusement and leaned back in his chair, folding his arms over. Penny would do this to him all the time, and like most men, he had a soft heart. Hell, it was enough that if Jessica did it to Jeremy, he'd be sent crashing down, giving in. Melanie started to fake a sob as the tears came from her eyes. Freddie moaned as a surge of guilt hit him. "I'm stronger than that. It's not going to work."

"You don't want to kiss me? Don't you love me anymore, Freddie?" Her tears continued to fall and Freddie felt like a chump. He knew what she was doing, but damn he couldn't stop feeling bad. She started to cry and his heart wrenched. Kevin had to commend him on his strength, Melanie was already pouring out buckets and he'd resisted this far. Penny never made it that far before he gave in. Freddie lifted his eyes up and decided to screw it, then planted a strong one on her lips. Her eyes grew, then fluttered shut, a triumphant feeling rushed over her as she pulled away.

"Just don't cry, I love you very much Mel." She sighed with contentment, the pleasure inside of her skyrocketed. Freddie closed his eyes and turned back to Kevin, who was now staring at him with teasing eyes. "Kevin. Never speak a word of this again, got that?" His friend then broke out in laughter and shook his head, much to Freddie's chagrin.

"No dice man, I'm going to tease the living hell out of you from now on."

"Of course you are." Kevin grinned innocently and looked to Melanie, he was wondering how Jeremy was doing lately and still felt a bit sore about what had happened several months ago. It wasn't a big deal, and Candice had since given up after Jessica nearly beat the crap out of her. Though it wasn't what Jessica did that got her to stop, it was Melanie, having pulled her aside and spoke very sternly to her.

"So, how's Jeremy? He and Jessica together yet?" She looked at him and nodded, causing him to smile happily. "Well that's good!"

"They're both going to college in California next year, but right now Jeremy's going to AU in Washington. He wants to remain close to his family. Uncle John wants to get him to join the military after college. His words to Jeremy were 'I'm going to make a man out of you' and then it began." Kevin laughed and Freddie snickered, although there really wasn't much to laugh at. Jeremy was thankful, really, for the man treating him well.

"Well that's great news." Kevin, Allison, and Kendal had already spoken with their best friends over the whole Father's Day thing, each of them having heard what happened through the grapevine. It was on the national news, Vinson and Mitchel got their girlfriends to tune in when he saw Melanie and Kevin just happened to click the news on to see what was going on. They were gravely concerned when they listened to the report. Kevin closed his eyes and leaned back as the words of the reporter came to his mind.

"_In recent news_, _three were found dead this Father's Day in a Seattle home. General John Trent led the police in a search when his niece called him on his phone. Samantha Puckett used military Morse Code to alert him of the location of both herself and her twin sister, Melanie Puckett, who were kidnapped by Tyler Elliot and Hector Puckett. They reached the home of Lenny Siball, who was reported to have stalked one of the victims that day, believed to be the cousin of Samantha and Melanie. Reports state that a fight between Hector left Mr. Siball dead at just eighteen years. Mr. Elliot's son, Jeremy Elliot was on scene and confronted his father. It was this time that General Trent closed in on the house with the police and shot Mr. Elliot before he could do any damage. Jeremy Elliot and the three girls survived with minimal injuries. Those found deceased are as follows: Lenny Siball, eighteen. Hector Puckett, 46. And Tyler Elliot, 52."_

It was at that point that Kevin shut off the television, not wanting to hear any more. He had been eating cereal and lost interest in it, getting up and calling Freddie as soon as he could.

He opened his eyes and looked to see Freddie tickling Melanie's sides, possibly getting her back for the whole kiss thing earlier. He smiled and wiped a tear from his eyes. They were so fortunate to have each other. "Okay Freddie, come on, you got a ton left to learn." Freddie groaned and turned back to his notebook, eyeing Melanie as she moved back to the bed and opened a _Sports Illustrated_ magazine.

A few weeks later, school was finally starting. Freddie was seated on the surface of a table, his hands gripping the edges. He felt like all the knowledge of the school was crammed into his head, he'd spent so much time studying it. Melanie stood next to him and sighed, a red cap rested on top of her head and her eyes were slanted. How did she get pulled into this? She wanted to be there to support Freddie, she figured that much.

As for the other members on the committee, it was the usual suspects, plus Alison and Kendal. Alison was looking pissed as usual while Kendal appeared happy and carefree. Terrance was there, leaning against a wall and slowly bouncing a basketball up and down. Mitchel and Vinson were more than happy to support their girlfriends, but were not part of the committee. Vinson knew better than to tease Alison, but Mitchel was going to tease Kendal for a bit. At least until she used the 'no kiss' threat on him.

Renaldo was no longer a part of the committee, as he and his family had moved back to Hawaii over the summer. He did often send videos of himself riding the waves. Selena was once more a part of the group, but she abandoned her prior nerdy look and invested in contacts. She also grew her hair out to the middle of her back and actually wore nail polish. Penny would have been proud of her.

The group were surrounding Freddie at the table, each of them lifting their heads to the door as new students began to flush in. Freddie lifted his eyebrows and looked over to Melanie, who popped her gum and smiled cheerfully. Alison rolled her eyes and Kendal grabbed a tray of brownies from the table. Vinson and Mitchel looked at each other and chuckled nervously as the new kids surrounded them, all they could think of was fresh meat. Terrance caught the basketball in his hands and glanced up with his eyes as Selena, having been talking to him, turned away. The two of them had begun dating over the summer break. Freddie grunted and sighed heavily as he pushed himself from the table.

"Let's do this."

* * *

And other chapters would have been the wrap up chapters, but then I saw CSI again. Well next chapter is "Mason Ward", as for the anonymous person who asked me a question...1) Why is it I keep complaining about this and people NEVER listen? Don't ask me a question when you're ANONYMOUS, I can't respond! 2) The answer to your question, Ty: Remember the chapters with Jonah and Freddie talking about their parents? It's thought that Freddie's father was dead. Anyway, the next little arc will detail his and Marissa's past, his father, etc etc.


	61. Mason Ward

Boarded

A/N: This chapter details Mason Ward, and will give just a _few_ extra chapters of a more lighthearted drama, not as serious as what we've seen. After this small arc, the story will begin coming to a close. This throws heavy focus on Freddie and Marissa's past. Mason Ward is a character played by Nathan Kress in a CSI episode, but this will _not_ be a case of prior identity. You'll see where I'm going with this.

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Chapter 61 (Mason Ward)

Jessica walked into the doors of her college, having changed her mind about where she wanted to go. Although she wanted to forget about her past, she couldn't shake the connection she had about Vegas, so she was going to attend the University of Nevada-Las Vegas, which was a really good school. Jeremy would have to decide in a year whether he wanted to go there or go to Stanford, but no one really knew what the future held. Today was the day she was going to meet her academic advisor, she was so excited!

Academic advisors had a lot of students, so this year they arranged a system, students would report to a classroom and the advisor would introduce themselves to their students there. Anyone that wanted to talk to them afterwards would have the chance. These were the people that would possibly spend the next four years of the student's lives getting to know them. Jessica _knew_ what she wanted to do, so she'd already selected her major, Criminal Justice with a minor in Psychology. She was going to be a CSI. She looked at her paper with excitement, she was in the main building. The campus was huge and confusing, of course. The building was filled with students running all over the place. This was something she'd only _dreamed_ of, unsure if she'd ever make it this far.

She thought back to that social worker that was with Catherine Willows, the lady scared her back then. It was Grissom and Willows that fought tooth and nail to keep the girls there. Eventually, John sent an order overseas and somehow cleared the whole thing up, the social worker had then backed off. She hated social workers, always trying to take people away from families. Sometimes it was deserved, sometimes it wasn't.

Shaking the thought from her mind, she grasped her backpack strap and made her way to the room the paper said to go to. She wasn't exactly sure who her advisor was, her paperwork didn't mention it. She stopped at the door and tucked her hair behind her ear, her body began to warm up as she gazed nervously into the window of the room. There were so many already there, chatting and talking. College, such a scary time for her. Someone stepped behind her and spoke to her, his voice very familiar to her, a ghost of a distant past. "Is this your room?" She whirled around, her eyes widening as she spotted him, her hero, her idol, Gil Grissom, Lead CSI. Her heart jumped and her jaw fell, she couldn't believe he was here! Why was he, though? Shouldn't he be working at a crime lab?

"M-Mr. Grissom?" He rubbed his chin and chuckled while arching his eyebrow up. He was astounded that this girl knew him.

"Yes, I'm a professor and academic advisor, this is my room." She gasped and closed her eyes, trying so hard to overcome the feeling that she had, a case of being a fan-girl. "And you are?"

"J-Jessica…" She looked him in the eyes and he tilted his head, finding a sense of familiarity in her face. Tears came to her eyes and she nearly choked up. She couldn't believe _he_ was going to be her advisor! It was almost like a dream come true! "Trent! Jessica Trent!" He lifted his eyebrows and smiled pleasantly. "You might remember me…eight years ago." This was the one man that, along with Catherine, did everything in his power to ensure she and Sam had a good life.

"I never forget people, and I most certainly haven't forgotten you. Catherine and I were just talking about you a couple weeks ago." She felt her heart swell and her smile shone brightly.

"You _did_?"

"Yes, we heard about…what happened to you in Washington. Are you okay?" She closed her eyes as the memories of the day flashed through her mind. She swallowed and nodded her head.

"I'm fine, it is just another one of those things…" She wanted to give this man a hug, he was like a second father to her, granted no one could possibly compare to her actual dad. Grissom and Willows felt very guilty when they realized that they'd convicted the wrong person, and _Tyler_ was the one that killed the old woman. It was so weird how it all happened, even.

"Jessica, I have something to say, well…coming from both myself and Catherine." She frowned and met his eyes, she wasn't too sure if she really wanted to hear it, but she did want to hear everything he had to say. "It's about that case. When it was revealed that Tyler…I mean, we even investigated him…" He closed his eyes and took a slow breath. "We're sorry for everything you went through." She pressed her lips and looked around, not caring if it was professional or not. If anyone said anything, she'd smack them around a couple times. She hugged him and took a step back, smiling and watching him smile.

"It's perfectly fine. You know that his son and I are together now."

"Oh you are?"

"Yes, and very much in love!"

"Well the both of you deserve happiness." She did a mock bow and thanked him. She had a pretty good feeling she was going to enjoy the next four years. "So, you're taking Criminal Justice?"

"Yes! I want to be a CSI like you and Ms. Willows!" Grissom chuckled and pat her on the shoulder, holding her eyes for a moment.

"I think you'd make a great CSI, Jessica. You know Catherine is still working, she's the lead CSI right now." Jessica gasped and her eyes widened, sparkling with joy and wonder. "Four more years, if you stick around, you could wind up working with her."

"Oh my god, you're serious?"

"Yes." He could see the delight in her eyes. It made him proud. "Got another person just like you who wants to be a CSI, evidently Nick and Catherine made a believer out of him." He was referring to Nick Stokes, who had worked with Sara Sidle and Greg Sanders in a bomb case that happened around the same time as her case. "His name is Mason Ward, his dad's a police officer."

"Awesome!"

"Yeah, he skipped a grade, made it right into college. He's only seventeen."

"How'd he meet up with Mr. Stokes?" Grissom took a deep breath and moved his folder in between his arms.

"Mason was involved in a case about three years ago." Jessica frowned and slowly shook her head, hoping he wasn't someone who tried to kill another person like she had done. Seeing the sorrowful look in her eyes, he felt a bit of a thud in his stomach. Mason wasn't guilty, but he was sure Jessica would feel bad for him either way. She seemed to have a heart like that. "His uh…his best friends were more involved than he was." She knew he wasn't telling the whole story, probably wanted to spare her the details right now, but it wasn't her place to know right about now.

"Aren't you still working there, Mr. Grissom?"

"No, I've retired. I'm a professor now." She smiled and nodded, brushing her hair back and breathing out. Either way, she was happy that he was doing well for himself. "I married Miss Sidle, you remember her, don't you?" Jessica nodded and her eyes brightened, she couldn't forget that woman.

"I'm happy to hear that! How is Warrick?" Grissom moved his eyes downward and Jessica gasped. She knew that look, the look of mourning.

"He passed on."

"I'm so sorry! I hope I didn't bring up old wounds."

"It's okay." It had been a few times and was still a sore memory, but it wasn't something that he hadn't been able to move on from. He looked to his watch and Jessica immediately felt guilty for having taken up his time. Grissom smiled at her and motioned for her to follow. "There will be plenty of time to catch up, and I will definitely have to tell Catherine that I'll be advising you. She'd love to see you again."

"You really think so?"

"I know so." He smirked and opened the door for her, she thanked him and hurried inside. This elated feeling she had just wouldn't go away, she _had_ to tell Jeremy! She took her seat in the second row and third column from the right wall. Watching Grissom set up his desk for a moment, she smiled and placed her elbows on her desk and chin on her hands. She trailed her eyes around and saw several students there, at least forty or more were in the room. She could only imagine, this 'meet advisors' day went on for hours. Grissom had to introduce him to forty new people over and over again throughout the day, depending on how many students he had.

She leaned straight up and rested her left arm onto her desk, she didn't know how long this introduction would take, but she wasn't going to be bored at all. As she looked in the back corner of the room, she spotted a strange sight. A boy who was sitting on his desk, chatting up a couple other guys. The peculiar thing was, though she was sure she was seeing things, he looked extremely like Freddie. No, he was so identical she thought for sure he _was _Freddie. She turned around and raised her eyebrows up, she was sure Freddie was at the boarding school. She glanced back and he noticed her, nodded at her and lifted his hand up to wave. She then turned away and looked to the door. Why would he wave if he didn't know her? Just being friendly? Maybe it really was Freddie, but she could just be getting paranoid.

She lifted her eyes as Grissom began speaking. Everyone turned his attention to him and the Freddie lookalike jumped into his seat. The talk ran for fifty minutes, then Grissom released everyone. Jessica had made damn sure to take as much notes as possible, she would not forget where his office number was, and he urged everyone to come see him and start working with him on their schedules. As she left the room, one of the last to leave, she saw him again, the boy who looked remarkably like Freddie. She had already texted Melanie, asking if Freddie was with her, and Melanie confirmed that she'd just seen Freddie the prior night and had not seen him quite yet today, nor would she for a couple days because he was hanging out with Kevin and then he had to start grinding down real hard on the baseball team.

Jessica eyed this boy, he was chatting with a girl. She had strawberry blonde hair and was blushing. She narrowed her eyes as this boy laughed and placed his hand on the girl's arm. He gave her a chaste kiss on the lips and anger flared up inside of Jessica. The color drained from her face and her fists slowly closed up as she watched the girl walk away. The boy looked at her and raised his eyebrow nervously as she started to steam and move towards him like a raging bull. "Benson!"

"What?" His hand, which had been resting at the top of the wall, fell to his waist as he turned around. Jessica grabbed his shirt and lifted him up, adrenaline pumping. He screamed as she slammed him up against the wall, his head hitting the wall. He moaned, memories of a bat crashing down upon his head flooding into his mind. "Lady stop! My dad's a cop!"

"I don't-" She stopped and raised her eyebrow, what the hell was that about? "What? Your dad…" He opened his eyes and met her gaze. "What do you mean your dad?"

"P-Put me down, _please!"_ Jessica nodded and released him. He pressed his back firmly against the wall, unsure of what the hell was going on. Jessica looked back to see Grissom watching from the doorway, his eyebrows in the air.

"That is Mason. Mason Ward…" Jessica gasped and covered her mouth, she didn't know! Her eyes flew to Mason and she took a slight step back. He was breathing heavily and holding his head, clearly having bad visions. Grissom walked up next to Jessica and frowned. "One of his best friends died, and because of that, his other best friend tried to kill him…hitting him in the head with a bat."

"Oh my god, I'm so sorry Mason! I…it's just…" Mason moaned and waved his hand in the air dismissively, trying to recover from the shock. "You look exactly like this friend of mine, and he's dating my cousin…and I saw you with that girl and I just…" The blood rushed to her skin and Mason waved her off once again.

"Seriously, just stop." Freddie didn't have a twin, did he? At least he never mentioned one, but the resemblance was too uncanny for Mason _not_ to be his twin. Just, what was he doing here?

"You mentioned your dad…" Freddie's dad had been a cop. Marissa always said he died in the line of duty. Was that not the case? Was that not the truth?

"Yeah, my dad's a cop."

"What about your mother?"

"Don't have one." Mason rubbed the back of his head. Damn, he was going to have a knot there for a few days. He'd never had a mother, his father never really bothered with women. The last time was three years ago, this woman almost became his mother, but the relationship didn't work out. "Dad's raised me on my own since birth." Who was this girl and why was she suddenly so interested in him? He didn't have the time, nor patience for this.

"Have you ever seen iCarly?" She was almost breathless, she was positive Mason _had_ to be related to Freddie. Everything about him from the hair, to the skin tone, even down to the clothes was near identical. Mason raised an eyebrow and slowly shook his head. What the hell was iCarly? Seeing the confusion in his eyes, she frowned. "An internet webshow."

"No. I don't have time or care for those things. They seem boring to me and I'm always busy studying." Made since, if he skipped a grade level. "Why?"

"You have to watch! I think you have a twin brother!" He lifted his eyebrows up and chuckled once. After a second, his chuckling turned to laughter. This girl was crazy!

"A _twin_? Are you serious?"

"Yes! You look identical to my friend." He frowned and stared at her, a look of annoyance. If he had a twin, then how come he never heard of him?

"Sorry, but wouldn't dad have mentioned something like that?"

"I don't understand it either, but watch iCarly! I'm certain you'll see what I'm talking about."

"Okay…" He chuckled and lifted two index fingers, slowly backing away from her. "You're crazy. I have to go!" He turned around and began to run off.

"Wait!" She lifted her hand up in defeat and sighed as she turned her eyes to Grissom. He rubbed his chin and pulled his lips back. "He _is_ Freddie's twin, I don't know how or why, but there is _no _doubt about it!"

"Well you know what I always tell my team. If you don't know the answers…ask more questions." She mused over this thought as her mentor and idol walked away. She knew what this meant, she would investigate. She had to know, she had to figure out what was going on. She couldn't do much at the moment, but she knew someone who probably could give her some answers to the questions she was looking for. She pulled out her cell phone and looked through her contacts for Pam. She was Marissa's closest friend, maybe she knew _something._ If she knew anything at all, it would be helpful enough.

* * *

Well there you have it, and for the anon user again...please...PLEASE get an account! If you're going to ask questions, you may as well get an account so I can at least RESPOND without doing so in an author note. Glad you like the story btw.


	62. The Investigation

Boarded

A/N:TO TYPHLOSION, all other regulars continue on reading the chapter: AGAIN I have to repeat myself, do you even read the author notes? I'm glad you like my story, and I appreciate the reviews, but if you're going to ask questions, then GET A DANG ACCOUNT! AUTHORS CANNOT REPLY TO ANONYMOUS USERS and I really hate having to put up author notes in chapters or update early because of an anonymous user's question. As for your question, you'll just have to see. Nothing should affect the timeline or whatever you mean, everything remains fluid.

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Chapter 62 (The Investigation)

Pam answered her phone when she saw that Jessica was calling, she and Janet were meeting over coffee and talking about how proud of their children they were. They felt for Sam, though, because she was feeling lonely in her senior year. With Carly on the cheerleading squad and not really getting to associate with her, it definitely made Sam feel ostracized, alone and isolated. Since it was Jessica, she put the phone on speaker for Janet to hear her daughter. "Hey Jessica! Janet's here with me, so I put you on speakerphone, if you don't mind."

"Hi Aunt Pam, Hi mommy!" Janet grinned as Pam drank from her coffee.

"Hey baby, how's your first day of college?"

"Awesome! We met our advisors and you'll never believe who my advisor and mentor is! Mr. Grissom!" Jessica squealed and instantly covered her mouth, praying hard that nobody actually heard that. Janet laughed and Pam stifled a snicker. "He says that if I stick around, I could end up working for Ms. Willows one day! Isn't that great?"

"That would be perfect, sweetie. I know how much you looked up to those two." She remembered her daughter constantly bringing them up and was always happy to see a smile on her face. She never had the heart to tell her that she probably would never see the two again, nor would they remember her. It seemed she was wrong, and possibly on both counts. "Did Mr. Grissom recognize you? Does he know you're innocent? Did it bring any unwanted memories back?" She was a bit worried about any bad memories returning from her past, but Jessica was pretty good about the fact that her past demons were no longer an issue for her. Jessica took a deep breath and exhaled.

"Yes he recognized me and yes he knows I'm innocent, and no it didn't bring any old memories up." Janet placed her hand to her chest and beamed proudly, her daughter was growing up so well. "Tomorrow will be the first day of actual classes, so I have to meet up with him and discuss my schedule later. However I kind of want to talk to him about some other things, like this one thing that's recently come up that I want to talk to Aunt Pam about." Janet and Pam glanced at each other and shrugged, not realizing that Jessica was conducting an investigation. Pam smiled and responded to her.

"Okay, what is it dear?"

"It's about Marissa." Pam raised her eyebrows as Jessica tapped her fingers on a table, she was sitting in the college cafeteria. "Something about her past."

"Something I would know about?"

"Maybe, you've been her closest friend for so long." Sure, she'd known Marissa for about twenty years, having actually met her twenty years prior. They weren't the _closest_ of friends back then, but there were some things that brought them close, and their friendship just continued on from then.

"Yeah, we met in Vegas while she was still living there." All three women lived in Vegas at some point of time. "I moved here to Seattle after some time and she came up here after losing her husband…Ironically, they met the same night we met." Pam chuckled at the memory, it was the cop who had picked Marissa up for being drunk later that night. Marissa had wanted to get away from Vegas, away from the horrible, horrible memories. "What do you want to know?"

"Did she ever have _twins_?" Pam's eyes widened and Janet choked on a piece of the donut she had. Twins? What was it that made Jessica wonder this? Yes, Marissa had twins, but she never spoke about it. "That, and why doesn't Freddie know, if this is the case." Janet looked to Pam, who was shaking, but not out of fear or discomfort, but because of the memory.

"You can't tell Marissa or Freddie, sweetheart, it would break her heart all over again." Jessica frowned and tilted her head. She was confused, why would it break her heart? If she was lying about Freddie not having a twin, then wouldn't there have been something more to it? As Grissom always said, 'people don't vanish, it's a molecular impossibility'. Now the question was, what happened to Mr. Benson and that twin, and why did they have different names? Assuming their first names _were_ different. "The fact that she lost her husband and baby son drove her mad, hence she became the overprotective mother she had been, afraid so terribly of losing Freddie." Jessica felt her heart sink as she started writing this down, she felt for Marissa, she did.

"Marissa thinks they died, doesn't she?" She prayed Pam wasn't lying to her, she knew the woman wouldn't lie about anything, but she'd learned enough from Grissom and Willows to know that you can't always trust what someone says. Another quote of Grissom's came to mind.

_"Concentrate on the one thing that cannot lie: The evidence."_

So what was the evidence? So far what she had was a boy who looked completely identical to Freddie. If there was _anyone_ lying, she knew somebody was. Tapping her pen to her chin and glancing upwards in thought she looked over to see Grissom entering the café and walk over to the coffee machine. Once he got his coffee and turned around, he saw Jessica. She smiled and waved him over, so he moved over to her and took his seat. He decided to wait until the conversation was over for her to explain what was going on. She heard Pam's voice once more and listened. "Jessica, they died horribly. Marissa always says he died while on the job, but…truthfully, he didn't die on the job. All these years, she couldn't bear to tell Freddie the truth, that his father was picking up the baby from the nursery and he drove off a cliff. She never knew whether it was accidental or not, but the car exploded and…their bodies were never found."

"They never found the bodies?"

"The car went up in a blaze…"

"But there still should have been DNA!" Grissom crossed his arms and smirked, he was already starting to feel proud of her and he wasn't entirely sure what was going on. "Aunt Pam, people don't just vanish, just like…just like dead people don't ride roller coasters." Grissom stifled a laugh, she was using _his_ quotes. Pam paused for a minute and felt a very awkward silence as confusion rose inside of her.

"So what are you saying, Jessica?"

"I'm saying, unless there were bodies found, we can't even be sure that they're _dead_." Pam gasped and nearly dropped her phone, catching it in the air.

"Why the sudden interest? Do you know what bringing this up could do?"

"Aunt Pam. I just saw somebody, who looked _identical_ to Freddie…the same age, even." Pam's eyes widened as Grissom smirked, this girl wasn't sparing any details, that was for sure. Mason did not appear to have any ideas about having been a twin either, so chances were likely the father was up to something. Neither knew the other was alive, or even existed, and if Marissa wasn't lying, then that could only mean one thing. Jessica gasped and hung her phone up, meeting Grissom's eyes as he smiled knowingly. She just realized something very important. "The dad's lying…he may have _abandoned_ Marissa and Freddie!"

"Have you figured out the facts of your case so far?" Jessica nodded and pointed her pen to her notes.

"Right now, they're mostly assumptions. Until we have hard evidence to prove these theories correct, right?" He closed his eyes and nodded, then pointed to a corner booth. Jessica looked back and spotted Mason finishing up a meal. He wiped his mouth with a napkin and tossed it on the tray, then got up and walked from the café. She looked at Grissom and he waited for her to figure out what she needed. "That he is Freddie Benson's twin is an _assumption_?"

"To assume makes an ass out of you and me, find the proof and turn that assumption around into _fact_."

"Right." Jessica pulled a pair of red gloves from her purse. Jeremy had given them to her as a gift, to go with the black gloves he had. He always said black and red meshed perfectly together, so that was why they had those specifically colored gloves. She got up from her chair and Grissom sipped his coffee while watching her gently pick up the napkin, making sure not to touch anywhere near where Mason wiped his mouth at. He pulled a Ziploc bag from his briefcase on the ground as she walked back over and looked at him with astonishment. "You carry those on hand?"

"Never know when you'll need to collect evidence." She nodded as they placed the napkin in the baggie. "Now, follow me to my office."

"You have stuff there?"

"My office is basically a lab. I have my students do investigations and I have to set up evidence."

"You have them do cases?"

"Yes, so I can see if they're learning anything." They rarely did actual cases, but when they did, Grissom had to get special permission to use the actual evidence. He didn't like having students tamper with actual evidence, so he usually never did use the actual evidence and would have to somehow create artificial evidence to match.

"Amazing." He chuckled and led her to his office. Once inside, Jessica was in awe of the size. There were computers, machines, and tools of all sorts throughout the incredibly large space. It was like an actual forensic laboratory. "Oh my god, this is…so…_awesome!"_

"The university was happy to give this to me as a gift." She nodded as Grissom carried the napkin over to an evidence table and placed it down. "Now, is there any way we can trace this? We want to match him to either his brother or his mother."

"Right." She thought long and hard about how to go about this. Looking over to the computer, she wondered if either Freddie or Marissa had ever been in the system? She remembered Aunt Pam saying Marissa lived in Vegas, they met at a bar, and her husband was a cop. Tapping her chin, she narrowed her eyes in thought. "Marissa met her husband, a cop, the same night she met mom and Aunt Pam. She met them at a bar…"

"Did she meet her husband at the bar, or later?" If Marissa was picked up at all, her DNA _would _be in the system. She hurried to the computer and Grissom walked over. "You had a thought?"

"Maybe, just maybe, she's in the system!" It strained her to think that Marissa would have ever been arrested, she honestly hoped that wasn't the case and she was wrong, but she didn't know anything about the woman's past. "Mom and Aunt Pam would not have gotten drunk, they were probably just drinking socially." She knew the two well enough to know that they never drank, not now, and not back then. Jessica stepped away from the computer and let Grissom do the work, as he knew what to do, she didn't. "Marissa Benson…no, wait…" Grissom stopped typing and glanced at her. What did Melanie say Freddie's mom's maiden name was? "Davidson! Marissa Davidson!"

"Okay." He typed in the name and let the machine search. It eventually pulled out an extensive record of the woman. He whistled and Jessica's brow furrowed. Marissa had an outstanding amount of drunk driving and public intoxication arrests back in the late eighties, early nineties. "I'm seeing that she's way over the legal limits…"

"Yeah…" She texted her mother to know when they met Marissa, and her mom texted her back in a matter of minutes, wondering why she was so concerned. Nevertheless, she listed the date as March 20th, 1991. Freddie would have been born in 94', there were still records of her being arrested in between those years, the final record being shortly before she would have moved to Seattle. These were unimportant, though. "Okay look for March 20th, 1991. See who picked her up that night." Grissom pressed his lips together and adjusted his thin glasses, quickly finding the date.

"The arresting officer was Ken Benson."

"Okay, that must be him then. Tell me, do you know the name of Mason's dad?"

"Kenneth." She frowned and grabbed a cotton swab in irritation. Grissom leaned against a countertop and watched her swab the saliva on the evidence. At least they would be able to process this. It took a while, but eventually the DNA matched up. Mason Ward was indeed the son of Marissa Benson. Grissom rubbed his chin as Jessica recorded her findings. "Do you know your facts?"

"Marissa Benson and Ken Benson fathered both Freddie Benson and Mason Ward. Next, we must confirm Aunt Pam's story."

"There's one problem with that. Ken Benson is still listed as alive, but under a different name…" Of course he was, he was now Kenneth Ward. Jessica rubbed her forehead and groaned softly as Grissom looked through the records of both Marissa and Ken. "The point in time when the social security recognized his name change was February 22th, 1995."

"Days after Freddie and Mason would have turned one. Can you look to see whether they had any vehicles licensed to them in between February 14th 1994 and February 20th, 1995?"

"Of course." He proceeded to search and dug up the records. "Two different license plates, changes occurring in October of '94."

"Accident reports with the insurance companies?" Grissom checked and grinned, having stumbled upon something. Jessica looked over and her eyebrows rose up. There was a report filed with the insurance about the family car on October 3rd, 1994. Evidently she'd lost her car the day before to a burning inferno. "That's it, that's the infamous date, it has to be!" Grissom stepped aside as Jessica checked the newspaper reports, then found what she was looking for. "Officer Ken Benson is declared missing as of October 2nd, 1994, when his car struck ran off the road and off of a cliff. He and his young infant son, Mason, were in the car. Neither have been found at the scene of the accident. The officer at the scene and investigating officer is Ken's close friend and partner on the force, Andrew Tate. He had the unfortunate task of informing the widow, who burst into tears at the scene."

"You know what they say about close friends." Jessica stared at the report with a frown as she pondered her next theory.

"Partners on the force, brother's in arms, partners in crime."

"Do you smell what I smell?"

"A set-up. But why would he fake his death?" Perhaps at that time, Marissa was too clingy? Could that have been it? Nothing justified abandoning your wife and son, all the while, taking one son away with you.

"It is difficult, but one must never make judgments about a case. Remember the term 'innocent until proven guilty', you still have work to do." She wanted to find out why the man did what he did and she would not rest until she discovered the truth. Not for herself, but for Freddie and Mason, for Marissa. "Perhaps you should pay a visit to Officer Tate. He still works the beat, not far from here."

"Right, but now, you and I need to have a chat about my class schedule." Grissom chuckled and smirked, glad to see she remembered that. She wanted to have at least one class with him, but knew it would be difficult because he didn't teach many Freshman and Sophomore courses. There was one that he did teach, so she had to make sure to nab it fast.

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Hopefully you guys enjoyed this chapter.


	63. We're Twins

Boarded

A/N:

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Chapter 63 (We're Twins)

Mason sat with his girlfriend, Lindsey Willows, the daughter of Catherine. He had told her about the strange occurrence the previous day and she actually chuckled about the whole thing. He had his legs propped up on his desk, his shoes resting so neatly on the papers and textbooks for college, while he leaned back lazily in his computer chair. "Is it really bothering you that much, Mason?" Mason frowned and moved his eyes to his hands which were folded over on top of his stomach.

"It's like an annoying little itch I can't scratch." He moved his eyes to the center of the room and frowned, they had honestly never moved from that house. Lindsey saw his gaze and frowned as she placed her hand to his cheek and kissed him gently. He smiled, his thoughts whirling over to her, as she pulled away. "What was that for?"

"I just wanted to kiss you." She knew he still had bad thoughts about the whole thing. He and one of his best friends, Steve, were drinking at a party when he started to put out a fire by stupidly drenching it with alcohol. They were so afraid when they left and the cops arrived to pick up the evidence, that they found their other close friend, Will, and had him try to take the evidence from the evidence vault. Mason reclined his chair back and turned it towards the window. Lindsey closed her eyes and frowned, it was too late, he was already thinking about it.

"Your mom helped solve the case, didn't she?" Lindsey nodded and smiled kindly. It really more the efforts of the whole team grouped together, her mom just led them. "You know, I went on my dad's computer and got the _wrong_ fucking case?" His eyes misted over as his hands clenched the armrest. "I wanted to find the house on rose street and ended up pulling the file about some woman whose husband killed her!"

"You didn't know, you were in such a hurry that you didn't look."

"I _should_ have looked, Lindsey!" Will died at the evidence vault, having been startled and fallen. His hands already in the vault, he had the husband's blood under his nails. This got the killer's lawyer all fired up about evidence plantation, which seemed so wrong. "All over fucking $200." He mumbled his words closely as he pictured Steve swinging the bat down. Lindsey felt her heart sink, he was coming out about what happened to him. She walked over to him and wrapped her arms around him from behind, softly kissing the back of his neck. He'd taken $200 from that lawyer when he called her out for trying to gain media attention and profit from Will's death, she gave him that money to shut him up.

"What happened? You know I'm right here for you."

"It kills me, I should never have taken that damned money from her." He had gone home with it and Steve found him. When he brought up the money, Steve called it 'blood money' and hit him with an aluminum bat. Had the detectives not zeroed in on the fact that he used his dad's computer at the office, had his father and detectives not come to find him, he would have _died_. "I would have died, I was meant to die." Lindsey tightened her hug and kissed his neck again. It was comforting to him, to feel her warm lips on his skin.

"But you _didn't_. You're alive now and you're with me." He chuckled and tapped his index finger gently on the armrest. He wouldn't even have met her if not for his involvement in the case. She was there at the hospital, occasionally visiting the victims that her mother worked with. He saw her and the first thing he thought to ask was whether or not he was in heaven, because she looked like an angel. "You used the cheesiest pick up line…and you were just waking up."

"Careful, I might have been delirious." Lindsey laughed as Mason smirked and turned to her.

"If I didn't know you were joking, I'd smack you right now."

"If I knew how to work a computer, I would have checked that damn case file better." If he had been smarter, he would have known there was nothing to be afraid of. When that fire started, it had just been accidental. Although they could have gotten in trouble for underage drinking. Lindsey sighed and looked into his eyes.

"Something my mom always tells me about life. You can't change the facts, you can't change the past, and you can't change fate. Will's death was an _accident_ and you did not cause it. You don't know if he could have died that day in some other way." He muttered and closed his hands, his body shaking as he stared at the laptop on his desk. He hardly ever used that thing unless he was using his studies. She followed his gaze and pressed her lips together, she knew now he was thinking about what that girl had said, those cryptic words.

"I will live with that over my head for the rest of my life, Lindsey. It's enough to make me not want to be close to anybody. One best friend dies because he was helping me out, and the other tries to kill me…" A silent tear fell from his right eye and he gently wiped it away. He hated thinking about what happened to him, he honestly did. He shook his head and opened his laptop, his thoughts bouncing to other areas. "Twins…It just doesn't make any sense to me. Why would _I_ have a twin?" In truth, the concept of another family somewhere scared the living shit out of him. He didn't want more people to hate him, he didn't want more people to know what he had done. What he had done felt like the worst thing that anybody could ever do, causing their best friend to die trying to correct someone's fucking mistake. "Do I even deserve to find out?"

"You could find your mother for once. Imagine how that must feel." Mason smiled and began typing on his computer, bringing up internet pages. He thought about the site that Jessica told him to go to. Lindsey leaned against the back of his chair and watched over his shoulder. "You're looking up iCarly?" She honestly had heard of it, but never had any desire to see it.

"Yeah, that girl told me iCarly was where I would see what she was talking about." As he searched it on google, his computer rang out and the browser changed to a web filter. He jumped up in shock as Lindsey's eyebrows rose. "Keyword blocked? How the hell?" He never installed a web filter on his computer before, perhaps his dad had done something. Lindsey sighed and pushed him aside.

"Move, move, I got this." He watched her as she sat down and began working. She was a smart girl who learned to get past the system. She had at one point had a strained relationship with her mom, and all that time, she was learning a bunch of tricks and having fun using them too. It was not long when the filter was disabled and she managed to get to the iCarly homepage. "Viola!"

"Impressive." She smirked and turned around, meeting his eyes and expecting a kiss.

"What do I get for getting you here?"

"A kiss." She looked innocently past him, at the posters on the wall.

"Oh? I don't know…" He laughed and leaned forward, kissing her on the lips. Her face brightened and she jumped up, squealing once with joy. "I'm happy now."

"Of course you are." He smiled and took his seat, then grabbed his mouse and placed his hand on the keyboard. He felt his blood run cold at the first thing he saw, the banner of the iCarly website. The people at the top: Freddie, Sam, Gibby, Carly, and Spencer. There was a date that said iCarly had shut down a year ago, but all old videos were still accessible. He couldn't tear his gaze from Freddie. "It…it's uncanny, it just doesn't seem right at all." Lindsey looked over and gasped, was that Mason on the screen?

"She was telling the truth. Here, let's watch a few videos."

"Okay…" He clicked on one of the last videos, it was the very final one. He tilted his head as it began loading, then played. "Those girls seem very sad." He watched with boredom as the webshow went on, and then Freddie appeared on screen. He jumped forward and leaned close to his computer, searching every detail of Freddie's face. Even Lindsey was performing her own 'investigation' by massaging and pinching his cheeks. He had to swat gently at her hand, which caused her to back away and watch the video. "He's talking about a girl he likes…kind of explains why Jessica was attacking me in the hallway."

"Well she did see you with me." She laughed and he nodded in her direction. Once she stopped laughing, she closed his bedroom door and brought a chair over. "Here, let's watch the rest of these videos."

"They look boring to me."

"Who knows, maybe they are, maybe they're not. Either way, there's a kid there that looks exactly like you. Watch the videos from the start."

"Fine…" He pulled up the archives and sighed as he scrolled to the bottom, they would certainly be there a long time. His dad was out of the house on work, so they had nothing to do. "I wonder, was iCarly the product of boredom?"

"Who knows? Maybe…" Mason pulled his notebook over and wrote down Chestnut Valley, the boarding school it seemed Freddie was going to. While he was doing this, Lindsey took the liberty of clicking on the very first video. Mason lifted his eyes and raised his eyebrows. Sam delivered an insult to the cameraman, who shouted out about being disrespectful. "Okay, so I'm guessing that's Freddie working the camera?"

"Really?" He moaned and rolled his eyes. Great, his twin was a computer geek. "I hope he's not like that now. Plus, he's letting her insult him…" He felt guilty for being so critical, but hell, if this was his twin, then maybe he had a right. Lindsey placed her hand to her cheek and leaned against the desk, moving her eyes over to him.

"Tell me, have you ever had any strange feelings? Like, you know…strange voodoo twin stuff?" Mason laughed and shrugged, maybe he had and never noticed. He remembered feeling incredibly sad and angry on Father's Day for no reason at all, he never could figure out why.

"There are times." His eyebrow twitched as he watched the girls randomly begin dancing, so far he was thinking this webshow was annoying, but it wasn't fair to make judgments so early on. The two stared on as someone named Simon came and began squirting milk through his eyes. They groaned in disgust and Lindsey turned away. "Okay that was disgusting. Next please."

They started going through the videos, feeling bored and disgusted at some and actually getting a chuckle from others. It wasn't long before they saw Freddie for the first time on camera, Mason was very intrigued. As time went on, their judgment changed with the growth of the actors. At first, Mason thought Freddie was a bit creepy, so attached to Carly like a tumor. Then, Freddie started to grow apart from the girls, started becoming his own person. He felt almost proud that this person would be his twin. Lindsey was happy to see how things progressed for everyone, to see them grow. As a couple hours droned on, they still thought iCarly was boring as hell, but they had to admit, there were a few moments that amused them.

"I would have said Seddie during that fan war thing, but all in all, I don't see it working between them or between Freddie and Carly." Lindsey agreed and leaned back in her seat. Sam was too wild and crazy for Freddie while Carly was just not her own person yet. She hadn't figured out where she was going or what she wanted to do with her life. He did find it ironic that Freddie was now dating Sam's _twin_. "You think it's funny, Lindsey? That Sam girl has a twin too."

"Yeah, I mean who would have thought…you saw Freddie's mother in that earlier video, right?"

"Oh you mean the one where she humiliates him on screen?" Mason laughed and went back to that video, stopping when he saw Marissa looking at the camera. His face softened and his eyes continued their gaze, investigating everything about this woman. "Yeah…" Lindsey looked at him and smiled quietly, she wasn't sure whether to be happy for him or not. Tears started to rush to his eyes as confusion began to spark inside of him. Along with that confusion was anger, rage, sorrow. "I think I'm going to be sick…"

"I know, it's hard."

"No you don't understand." He pounded his fist on the desk and looked to her eyes, his face in mid weep. "If I truly have a twin, _why don't I know?_ Why did my dad lie to me all my life? He told me mom was gone, that she died of alcohol poisoning or something! Then there she is, on that _fucking screen!_ On that _stupid_ webshow!" He jabbed his finger at the computer and placed his other hand on his stomach. "Why the _fuck_ don't I know about them? Why the hell did dad block iCarly on my computer? Hm? Why did all this happen?"

"It's okay Mason…" She wrapped her arms around him and hugged him close as his body shook and his breath came out in frenzied hisses. At this rate, he was going to start hyperventilating. "Breathe Mason, take a slow breath, it'll be okay." Mason closed his eyes and took a deep breath, then slowly exhaled. "Please Lindsey, give me…give me a minute…"

"I understand. I'll go make sure your dad doesn't come in if he gets home."

"Please and thank you." He watched as she left the room and closed the door behind her. Wiping his eyes he turned to the computer screen and stared at the image of Freddie and his mother. His heart wrenched and his stomach began doing flips. What would they think? What would they say? How would they react? There were so many questions that he had, so many answers he needed. On a whelm, he clicked the contact button and prayed the emails for Marissa and Freddie were still the same.

Far away in Texas, Freddie and Kevin were at a ballpark. Kevin was watching with wide eyes as Freddie raged and began punching a tree with all his might. "Dude? Dude relax! All I did was ask if you wanted to bat first! I'll bat first if you want me to!"

"It isn't you!" Freddie moaned as he walked to a wall and sat down against it, rubbing his temples. He'd felt a sudden outburst of anger and grief, just a random feeling. Kevin walked over to him and rubbed the back of his neck, a bit concerned about his friend. "I can't explain it, you were talking and I just kind of zoned out for a minute, then all of a sudden I felt this intense desire to tear something apart. It was like my whole world just…" He gripped his chest and felt like puking. He moaned and slowly stood up, Kevin quickly moved to support him, helping him to walk.

"Are you sure you're okay? You need to lie down…"

"I'll be fine, I don't know what this is." Freddie shook his head and moaned once more, this was probably one of the worst feelings he'd ever felt. "I think I'm going to be sick."

"Yeah man, you need to lie down."

"No, no, it's nothing…" Just then Freddie's phone went off and he lifted his eyebrows curiously. Slowly reaching into his pocket, he pulled his phone out and flipped it open. "Well this is strange…"

"What?"

"I have an email from someone who viewed the iCarly website." Kevin raised his eyebrow as Freddie looked to him curiously. People stopped sending emails through there a long time ago. Surely it wasn't another fan trying to tell him to revive the show after it was long and dead. He flipped open the email and his blood chilled as his eyes read the cryptic message. Kevin saw Freddie's eyes enlarge and the color drain from his face.

"Well what does it say? Anything about iCarly?"

"Oh…uh huh…" He slowly nodded his head and coughed. He was still feeling sick, so normally he would ignore a message like this, but there was too much going on _to_ ignore. "The message says: iCarly was interesting, but I'm not writing about that. I'm writing because one, I've never seen the show and this random girl told me to see it because I look identical to you, and two…she was right…Freddie, we're twins, my father never told me…" Kevin felt the air around him beginning to chill, which was odd. Freddie continued to stare at the phone, unable to understand what was going on.

"You sure it's not just some crazy fan?"

"I don't know, the writer didn't seem all that entertained by iCarly."

"Odd, huh?"

"I don't know, there's plenty of people out there who don't like it. Just surprised he's never _heard_ of us." The message continued to play over and over in his mind, the cryptic words never faltering. He still wasn't sure what to belive.

"We're Twins."

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Well hope you liked that chapter.


	64. Her Top Idol

Boarded

A/N: Right, like I said, two chapters a day MAYBE, I don't know. Morning and Nighttime. Enjoy this.

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Chapter 64 (Top Idol)

Second day of classes, Jessica wrote her notes down feverishly as her instructor, Grissom, taught. Several students just sat around and didn't really focus, several did. She didn't understand why people went to college if all they were going to do was slack off. Grissom's teaching style wasn't exactly like other teachers, he preferred a more hands on approach while most of the others just wanted to drone on in lectures. She could understand why people might fall asleep in some of those classes.

Grissom glanced at his watch and moved to the podium, wrapping up his lecture. He placed his hands on a stack of papers and looked to his students. "Okay, your first investigative assignment will be due in four weeks. Please get your paper while leaving." The students rose from their seats as Jessica began putting her notes together and replacing everything into the binder. She looked up as the students began grabbing their assignments and leaving. "Miss Trent." She smiled and met his eyes. "Meet me in my office in ten."

"Yes sir." She had more investigations to take care of, she needed to go see Officer Tate. She'd actually found where he was. As she rose up and walked outside the classroom, she nearly bumped into some girl, the hallway was plenty crowded. "Ah sorry!" She looked at who she'd bumped into and hesitated, it was the girl that Mason was with. The girl smiled at her and waved it off.

"Don't worry about it." She paused for a moment, her eyes sparkling with recognition. "Hey! You're that girl Mason was talking about!" Jessica laughed nervously and looked to the side, embarrassed about it. "I hope you don't feel awkward about that, he understands. I think it's funny, actually." She smiled and held her hand out. "Lindsey."

"I'm Jessica. Good to meet you." She shook Lindsey's hand and smiled, this girl sounded nice. She stepped to the side as people started brushing past her. Lindsey laughed and motioned for her to follow, knowing how hard it was to focus in such a busy area of the building. Jessica followed her to a quieter place where people weren't running around crazily. "Yeah, even still, I feel really bad about what happened."

"Hey, just look at it this way. You made him think. That alone is something to be proud of." Jessica chuckled as Lindsey leaned up against a wall. "So how do you know him, Freddie Benson? Just friends?"

"Yeah, he's my cousin's boyfriend. My cousin being Melanie Puckett."

"Now…that's Sam's sister."

"Right. So, then you've seen the show? Heard of them?"

"Just yesterday, actually. Mason actually got online to watch the videos." Jessica felt her spirit being uplifted as she heard the good news. She couldn't help but to wonder what Mason thought, not just of the show, but of Freddie! She tried to contain her excitement, but it was somewhat difficult. "In all honesty, we didn't like iCarly. Does that make us bad for that?"

"No, not at all. There are a lot who don't like it." Lindsey felt a bit relieved and placed her hand to her chest, sighing. She didn't want to be one of the only people in the world that didn't really break out laughing.

"I'll admit though, we did laugh a few times. Anyway, we were shocked when we saw Freddie, I mean…he has a _twin_." She ran her fingers very slowly into her hair and looked a few feet away. She was still trying to figure that one out. "Did you know his dad, we don't know when, got on that computer and blocked him out of anything that had to do with iCarly? I had to break into the filter just to get through."

"Wow…how long has he had the computer?"

"Years!" Perhaps since the start of iCarly, which left a broad scope for Mr. Ward to have actually blocked the webshow. Odd he'd feel the need, since his son didn't like to get online very often. Clearly Mason was _not_ the technical one of the family. "So, how do you know Prof Grissom?"

"Hm?" Jessica flipped her hair back with her hand and raised her eyebrow.

"Come on, you look at him with such respect and reverence, you have to have known him in the past! I know him because my mom worked with him for so long." Jessica's heart thumped and she stared at Lindsey for a moment. Out of everybody she could think of to have met he worked with that even had a child, there was only Catherine. She looked at Lindsey and smiled. She remembered back when she first talked with Catherine and Grissom, Ms. Willows had said she had a daughter about her age. She wanted to meet that girl so much back then, but never did. "By the way, my mom is Catherine Willows, if you've heard of her?" Jessica's eyes brightened, a sure sign that she knew exactly who Lindsey was talking about. Lindsey laughed and smiled back at her. "You _have_, huh? I take it you met them before."

"Yeah, I met them like eight years ago. I really look up to them, and to be honest, I kind of hope to maybe work for your mom one day. I promise I won't go all fan-obsessed on you." Lindsey laughed again while Jessica grinned.

"Well, maybe we can be friends. Want to talk about boys?" Jessica laughed and backed against the wall. "I have a boyfriend, and do you have a boyfriend?"

"His name's Jeremy, and he is…" She pressed her tongue into her cheek and lifted her eyebrows. She missed him and wanted to hold him, but she wouldn't be able to see him until Christmas. She closed her eyes and hummed, remembering the feel of his hands gliding across her body, his warm chest pressing hard against hers. Lindsey raised her eyebrow as Jessica shook her head and chuckled nervously. "He's gorgeous, and he's all _mine_." Her smile gleamed and Lindsey folded her arms over, smirking slightly.

"Well, I can tell you're either fantasizing about him right now or remembering something." Jessica blushed and looked towards the ground. She didn't feel guilty about having had sex with him, he never felt guilty about it either. They didn't really talk about it much, just acknowledged that it happened. "Ooh, I know that look. You're not a virgin anymore, are you?"

"One hell of a way to say that…" She glanced at Lindsey and the girl shrugged. "But yeah, Jeremy and I, we, we've been intimate."

"It's cool. I was a bit of a rebel going into my teen years. Mason and I have been together for nearly three years, and one year ago, we had sex for the first time." Jessica lifted her eyes up as Lindsey nodded. "The first time, it was just to piss mom off."

"She get pissed?"

"Oddly, not as much as I thought she would. She asked me if it was good, then we talked about it the next day." Jessica chuckled as Jessica looked off into the distance, watching the students pass them. She folded her arms over and sighed as Lindsey placed her hand on her shoulder. "It's always good to have someone to talk to about it, _other_ than your boyfriend. Have you really 'talked' about it? I mean that's a lot of emotions that need to be sorted out."

"No…" Jessica held her elbow and rubbed her own shoulder as the memory, the intensity of that moment flashed though her mind. God she loved it, was she supposed to? "Am I supposed to be glad about that?"

"It was your first time, bound to happen sometime. There's nothing wrong with being _thrilled_ about it." Jessica laughed and looked at the clock, paling when she saw the time. She had to get going.

"Shit I need to meet Mr. Grissom in five minutes!"

"Oh, well give me your phone real fast and I'll give you mine." Jessica nodded as they traded phones and started punching in their numbers with haste. Once done, they handed the phones back and Lindsey smiled at Jessica. "That's my phone number, give me a call and we'll hang. Okay?"

"Okay!"

"Talk to you later, have fun!" Lindsey winked and ran off, waving at Jessica. She knew what was waiting in Grissom's office, but she didn't know _why_. Jessica waved back and watched her vanish, then turned around swiftly. Panic shot through her as she realized she'd have to fight a massive crowd.

Jessica ran to Grissom's office and opened the door in a rush. "Sorry I'm late Mr. Grissom!" Grissom was seated at his desk, his eyebrows raised up. He had been talking to someone. Jessica froze in spot when she saw the back of a woman with strawberry blonde hair reaching her shoulders. This woman had very broad shoulders and a strong aura about her. She turned her head to Jessica and smiled brightly, causing her to nearly faint on spot.

"Hello Miss Trent, it's been a long time, hasn't it? You're all grown up now." Jessica whimpered and looked to Grissom, meeting his eyes as she fought to stay on her feet. She couldn't believe Catherine was _here!_ Why had she come all the way to the college? Catherine walked over to Jessica, holding her eyes with strong intensity. Jessica curled her fingers together and smiled nervously, he only sound that could be heard was the beating of her heart. Catherine extended her hand and Jessica did not hesitate to shake it.

"H-Hi, it's been too long." This was the woman that most inspired her, the woman she wanted to grow up to be. Fierce, strong, compassionate, dedicated, everything and more. "How are you doing Miss Willows?"

"Please call me Catherine." Jessica swallowed and nodded, wiping her hands on her hips. She was starting to worry that she might be sweating, though she wasn't. It was all in her mind.

"Okay, is that okay?" Catherine laughed and Grissom lifted his eyes to the ceiling, shaking his head gently.

"Of course it's okay. Come, let's sit down." Jessica followed Catherine to the brown leather chairs in front of Grissom's desk and took her seat. She started breathing slowly, trying to overcome this feeling in her stomach. She loved it but hated it at the same time, so troublesome. "Grissom was just telling me how you've stumbled upon your first 'case'."

"Oh! Well I don't know, I think I might just be trying to impress while also trying to figure things out myself…" She chuckled and started absently twirling her finger in the bottom strand of her hair. When she realized what she was doing, she stopped and firmly placed her hands together in her lap. "I'm really into CSI now, I mean you and Mr. Grissom really impacted me, a lot more than you know." Catherine's eyes beamed with pride and she looked over to Grissom who smiled at her. She then met Jessica's eyes and held her smile.

"Well I'm really glad to hear that. We were just talking about you wanting to be a CSI. It's a really good career, but I'm not here to give you career advice, Jessica."

"I had a feeling you weren't." Jessica could see it in her eyes, she was here to see her about something, and something important nonetheless. She wasn't sure what it was, but she definitely wasn't worried.

"Now you know that means you have to see a lot of dead bodies, and there's a lot of stuff that Grissom and I _still _get sick at." Jessica closed her eyes and nodded, remembering her own personal demons. "As hard as it is, it's difficult to not bring personal lives into your work, but you can't always do that."

"Right."

"Do you think, as of right now, you could handle being a CSI?" Jessica squinted her eyes in thought and stared at the brown desk in front of her. She then turned her head to the door leading into Grissom's lab. She could feel it in her heart, she _wanted_ this. This was her life.

"I don't know, but I do know one thing without a doubt." She turned her head to Catherine and met her eyes with determination and strength. A look that rivaled that of a young Catherine Willows on the force. Catherine smirked with pride growing inside of her, this girl definitely reminded her a bit of herself. "I _want_ this. You know, when Jeremy and I found out that his dad was the one that killed that old woman, I did some looking into it…"

"Oh?"

"I found where you guys made your mistake." Grissom and Catherine looked at each other, surprised. Grissom set his hand on the desk and smiled a bit while Catherine placed her hands in her lap and listened to Jessica. "You acted too quickly. The evidence was there, it was perfect, but you only questioned Tyler once. Granted, I might have done the same thing, especially when you found the pen in our house." How did it get there, though? That was the question she had to figure out. "Maybe it was the way things went down in the questioning, maybe it was the shock my mom went through…"

"Right."

"We also knew his children. Perhaps I should have mentioned it then, but I didn't know it…and I was too young to realize that I had left the pen with Mrs. Elliot." Catherine raised her eyebrows and Grissom held his pen in front of his face. "I thought about this, then asked mom, and she said Tyler had come by shortly after that…Kyle was playing and he came to pick him up while Jackie and I were in the back. We went in the house and both he and Tyler were gone, my pen back on the table. I thought I had it all along."

"So you're saying we didn't interrogate the suspects enough?" Catherine eyed Jessica daringly, she wanted to see if she would back down or not. Jessica knew that most veteran detectives probably didn't like when someone else told them they were wrong, and she was probably sure Grissom and Catherine weren't the same way, but she could never be one hundred percent positive of that fact. "Or that we didn't look at the crime enough?" Jessica closed her hand and nodded, holding her gaze with Catherine. Grissom patiently tapped his fingers on the desk, he was truly enjoying every minute of this.

"Yes. You did well figuring the cat we had was connected Mrs. Elliot, then deciding to search the house. Then you dusted for fingerprints, found the prints of a child, then boom. But you left out two factors." Jessica lifted her index and middle fingers and took a deep breath, shaking away the fear of telling her hero that she messed up. "The depth of the puncture wound was too deep for a ten year old girl, but with anger, it's easy to see how that can be ignored. You also did _not_ interrogate Ms. Trent, my mom." Catherine raised her eyebrows and Grissom gave an impressed grunt. She was right, they never did question Janet, they just grabbed the girls and questioned them. Because they _did _do something, it was not Jessica's action that caused the woman's death, she should never have gone to juvenile. "Had you questioned mom, had she said something about Tyler coming to her house, would you have finalized your investigation so quickly?"

"Honestly?" Catherine took a deep breath and closed her eyes, smiling slightly. "I can't say that I would have. You're right Jessica, we finished that case earlier than we should have." Jessica opened her mouth in wonder, her heart rising up. Catherine wasn't mad at her? Catherine smirked and opened her eyes, gazing proudly into Jessica's, causing the girl to feel her pride washing over her. It felt great that her hero was proud of her. "I was wrong. I am sorry, we did not investigate thoroughly enough, and it caused a lot of problems for many people who didn't deserve all the trouble. You've impressed me quite a bit, I am really surprised and very proud. You will make a great CSI agent."

"You-You really mean that?" Her heart began to swell and joy ran rampant through her. Catherine smiled and placed her hand on Jessica's shoulder, looking into her eyes.

"Yes, and you've made me even happier about this question I'd like to ask you. I came here on a notion that Grissom suggested to me, because of this case you're working on as well, and I think…while you're going to college, how would you like to shadow me?"

"What?" Jessica's eyes widened and her heart began pounding heavily. What was she asking her? "Like…like an apprentice?" Catherine smiled and slowly nodded her head. She was able to do that. "Like, working with you and…and…"

"Yes, working alongside of me, and if you're good enough, when you finally get your degree…I'll make you a full-fledged CSI under me." Jessica gasped as her idol pulled her hand away. She was frozen, unable to move, unable to breathe. This _was_ a dream come true! It didn't get better than this for her! She wanted to call Jeremy and scream, but then he'd probably taunt her on how girlish her squeal was, then say something about how cute it sounded and make her start fantasizing about him again. "Give it some thought, okay?"

"Thought?" She blinked and cleared her throat, shaking her head quickly. "There's no thought needed! Of course I want that! More than anything!" Catherine smiled as Jessica jumped up from her seat. Grissom bowed his head and chuckled.

"Are you going to dance in my office, Miss Trent?" Jessica paused and chuckled nervously, sweat forming at the tip of her head. She slowly sat down and gripped the armrests.

"S-Sorry about that I think I was overcome…Uh, that should pass pretty soon. I hope." She looked down with embarrassment, she hated feeling like she was acting like a fool. Sure, her mentors didn't seem to care any, but she still hated it. Catherine lifted her hand up and Jessica stopped talking, looking at her mentor as the kind woman smiled.

"The first thing you're going to work with me on, you've already started, as Grissom told me." Jessica raised a confused eyebrow and looked to Grissom, who held his hands together in front of his face. Was Catherine going to try and solve this thing with Mason? "We got a call, an anonymous call, from Seattle…about the disappearance of Ken Benson back in '94."

"You did?" So odd, how would anybody else know what was going on? Then she remembered, Lindsey said Mason had watched iCarly. What if he tried to contact Freddie? Her eyes widened briskly as her heart skipped a beat. What if he contacted Marissa? "Well, you're actually going to try and solve that case?"

"I wasn't, until I told Grissom about it and he said you were working on it." She smiled and folded her arms over. "The fact that the alleged crime took place nearly eighteen years ago, this can be looked at as abandonment and kidnapping. We'll have to pull the evidence and work with everything found, but it would appear you've already found evidence that supports the claim that Mason Ward is indeed the brother of Freddie Benson."

"Yeah, and his DNA matches that of Kenneth Ward." Jessica opened her backpack and pulled the notebook out. She handed it to Catherine, who gazed impressively at all the notes. "That's everything I've compiled in the past couple of days."

"So, you know your next step?"

"Questioning Officer Tate, the officer at the scene and close friend of Ken."

"What is our goal?"

"We need to find out what the crime is, we need to find out if Ken willingly took Mason and changed his name, or maybe he and Mason survived with a case of amnesia?" Now she was just being slightly humorous, but it was always plausible that Ken forgot a few things. "We have to pin possible kidnapping, and is abandonment a crime?"

"Not necessarily, but it is grounds for divorce."

"Right…"

"So here's the thing." Catherine smiled and handed Jessica the notebook, she wanted to see how knowledgeable this girl was. She wanted to see just how far she could fly as she was right now. "Since you really kind of need a degree and there will be things you won't know, I'm going to be right there with you while solving this, but I'm going to let you lead."

"What?" Her eyes widened and she held her notebook to her chest. She'd expected Catherine to take over the thing altogether now that it had actually become a full out investigation. "You're going to let me…"

"You're doing such a great job so far, I want to see what you can do. That way, while you're shadowing me, I can have an idea of what you can and can't handle. Just remember, let the forensic team do their work, you don't have to do _everything_. I remember when I was just starting out, I was trying to do everything and so much, I think I annoyed the hell out of everyone."

"Okay, I understand, and thank you! I won't let you down." Jessica hugged Catherine on a whelm, knowing yet again it was probably not so professional, but she couldn't resist. This was perhaps the best day of her life! And just like the old days when he was on the job, he gave one final order.

"Find out what happened to the husband and infant, and why. Leave no stone unturned."

* * *

Yes, you CAN go to jail for what Kenneth did, leaving his wife and taking the baby with him.


	65. The Questioning

Boarded

A/N:

* * *

Chapter 65 (Questioning)

"Yes, I helped stage his death." Officer Andrew Tate placed his hand on a book beside him as Jessica sat on the couch taking notes. Catherine eyed the two like a hawk, willing to intervene at any moment she was needed. Andrew leaned forward and clasped his hands together, looking Jessica in the eyes. "You have to understand, that woman was an clingy, needy, alcoholic…" He closed his eyes and slowly exhaled. For this, Jessica was having to put her personal grievances aside, she put herself in the mindset that she did not know Marissa personally. "The only thing she was dependent on was alcohol, and Ken, he just couldn't leave her."

"Are you saying he wanted to leave her? Why not file for divorce?" Jessica scanned the room with her eyes. She spotted medals and photos all over the wall. This man was probably a good cop, he seemed to be well recognized for his call to action. Andrew picked up a cup from the coffee table and brought it to his lips, sipping in warm green tea.

"I said he couldn't simply divorce her, she was far too clingy for that…" He went on to explain the events prior to Ken's abandonment. He was there when Marissa and Ken had a fight, it was over Mason. "She left Mason alone in the car while she stopped next to a bar, went in, and got _drunk_." Jessica raised her eyebrows and looked to Catherine, who nodded for her to continue listening and writing. "This woman then returns to her car and drives home. She was always dangerous with that kid, she didn't deserve to be a mother, and Ken called her out on everything. But the moment he decided he was going to divorce her, she would start crying like a baby, say she couldn't be without him or the boys…"

"So, let me see if I get this straight." Jessica tapped her notebook with the end of her pen and narrowed her eyes. "Mrs. Benson leaves her son in the car to get drunk, Ken has a huge fight with her later that night, threatens divorce, and she guilt's him into staying?" Andrew nodded and Jessica rolled her head to the side. "And when did this event occur?"

"The night of September 25th,, 1994." Jessica wrote down the date and frowned. "This woman had a lot of depression issues dating back to her teens. Ken comes to me a few days later and says he's got to get away from her anymore, that he can't take it anymore." He sighed and looked to Catherine, knowing very well that he was in a heap of trouble. "Will I need a lawyer?" Jessica pushed her pen into the spirals of her notebook and stood up.

"Thank you for your time, Officer Tate. We'll be in touch." He frowned as the two women walked out of the house, yes, he would need a lawyer. Catherine gave Jessica a nod of approval, to let her know she was very proud of how Jessica handled the questioning. "What we need is the why, we now the what, but we need the why. There may be a few pieces to this puzzle that are missing…"

"You've looked through all the evidence, had time to study it, what more do you need?"

"Do we question Marissa?"

"Do you think we should cover all our bases?"

"Yes."

About a week later, Jessica and Catherine were in the Benson household. Jonah was hanging around with Valerie, so when the two showed up, they left the room. Marissa was in tears, sobbing as Jessica and Catherine sat down on the couch in front of her. "Yes, it is all true! I was an alcoholic. Does that make me a bad person? Does that make me a bad mother?" Jessica looked to her notes and breathed out.

"You left a baby in the car while going into the bar to get drunk."

"It was a mistake, I would never do it again!" Jessica wrote her words while Catherine crossed her arms and looked sadly upon Marissa.

"I know what it's like, to lose yourself into depression…so much so that you lose sight of the important things." Marissa looked at Catherine and blew her nose into a tissue. Jessica lifted her eyes to Catherine and watched the woman in action. "I have a daughter and she's my entire world, but I will confess that when she was a little child, there were times I lost sight of her. Those are my biggest regrets, and I know I would never, ever, lose sight of what is important. That is what I tell myself on a daily basis, but there are those times when my work catches up to me and she gets ahead of me."

"You know what it's like, then? To be a single mother?" Catherine nodded her head and leaned back in her seat. "I thought I lost my husband and my baby that day, and then…then I get this email…I even printed it off." Marissa moved to her desk and grabbed the first paper she saw, then handed it to Catherine and Jessica. They read it as Marissa wiped her eyes. "My little boy is out there, my husband left me. I don't understand…I'm not like I used to be, but…" She feared a relapse of her overly protective ways. She'd given up alcohol when she lost Ken and Mason, she fought her depression and overcame it for Freddie, because he was her entire world. "I thought I had a hard life, that was all. Something happened to me…I was only seventeen, it was my high school prom…" She fell to her seat and Jessica reached over and placed her hand over hers, comforting her and looking into her eyes. "He was a sweet boy, my date, always cheerful…"

Marissa moaned as she clenched her eyes shut, an old, ghastly memory returning to haunt her. "It's okay Ms. Benson. I promise you, we will get your son back to you. You can say whatever you want to us." Marissa opened her eyes and met Jessica's gaze, she couldn't bear this burden.

"Do you know…how hard…since I've quit alcohol, how hard it's been for me whenever I see a bottle of booze? I just want to drown myself, I just want to…go away…" Jessica's stomach clenched as she closed her eyes and leaned back in her seat. Marissa moved her eyes to a photo of Freddie. "I don't know why I never told Freddie the truth about his father, about his brother, but I wish I did. Now I'm so afraid…" Jessica gazed past Marissa and frowned when she saw an open bottle on the counter, Catherine hadn't seen it quite yet. It wasn't enough that she could smell alcohol on her breath and had been waiting for the right time to ask, but seeing that bottle just broke her heart a little.

"Would you mind telling me when you started drinking again?" Marissa gasped and looked back with embarrassment. It was a bottle of tequila, and the it seemed the whole world could see it there.

"I…when I got this email, Freddie got a text at the same time…" Jessica felt her heart beginning to sink, afraid of where this was going. "He was so angry with me, angry that I lied to him all these years and he was demanding explanations…" She was afraid of losing him, afraid of him hating her, just like she was afraid of Ken hating her for her alcohol. Tears dripped from her eyes as she buried her face in her hands and sobbed. "I bought that bottle…I'm so ashamed! My Freddie hates me, Kenneth must hate me if he tried so hard to get away from me, even taking my baby! I'm destined to be alone, I know that!" Jessica rose to her feet and walked over, rubbing Marissa's back and speaking to her in a calm, soothing voice.

"Hey, don't talk like that. Freddie couldn't ever hate his mother. I know things look bleak, but it's no reason to dive back into an old situation." Jessica looked at the bottle and frowned. Where there was one, more were to be found, surely. "Do you mind if Catherine has a look?"

"Go ahead…it doesn't matter…" Her face was blank, emotionless. Why should she care anymore about anything? Everything she knew seemed to be a lie. Catherine rose to her feet and moved into the kitchen, pulling on her latex gloves. She opened the refrigerator door and the pantries, frowning at what she saw. Jessica looked into the area and shook her head. The fridge had at least eight more bottles of hard liquor, the pantries had two twenty four packs of beer. "Jessica." Jessica moved her gaze to Marissa, she was disappointed in this woman. Marissa held her arms as old, haunting memories began to torture her. "Take them from me. I am going to drink myself to death if you don't." She was shaking horribly, terrified of what was happening to her. "I became a paramedic when I thought I could save people like my husband and my son, they were the reason…they were my whole reason for my career…now, now what do I have?"

"Hard as it may seem…" She turned her gaze to the room Jonah and Valerie were in. Despite trying not to, they were listening in, and Jonah was taking this very hard. "You have Freddie and Jonah. Perhaps, you will have Mason too."

"I don't deserve happiness."

"Everyone deserves happiness, I am a firm believer of that. Believe me, I _do_ believe that." Catherine began stocking all the alcohol on the counter and sighed as she looked to Jessica. Jessica met her eyes and sighed. "Ms. Benson, is there anymore alcohol left in the house? Any at all?"

"I might have some Gin and Rum somewhere." Marissa clutched her hands together and bowed her head, eyeing her couch cushions. Jessica rubbed her chin and bounced her hand in the air.

"Get up, please."

"Okay…" Reluctantly, Marissa stood from the couch. Jessica lifted the cushions and frowned when she found a couple bottles of Gin and half a bottle of Rum. Marissa was ashamed and embarrassed, she hated to admit that she was falling back into her drinking habits. "I don't want to do this…"

"You don't have to." Jessica grabbed the bottles and moved them to the counter with the other alcohol. After some amount of time, they'd managed to move all the toxic substance away. It would have to go into an evidence vault somewhere. "Thank you, Ms. Benson. We'll get to the bottom of this."

A few days passed and Jessica learned even more about what was going on. They had enough to question Ken about what happened, and she was sure she had a picture perfect painting in front of her. Jessica and Catherine confronted Ken with everything and he had to take a seat. His son was just in the other room, listening in on this. There were other officers in the house as well, in case anything was needed to be done. "You know you can go to jail, right?" Jessica tapped her notebook and Ken watched the pen anxiously. "You can either talk to us now, or we take you down to the station and you talk there."

"I understand." Ken closed his eyes and rested his elbows on his knees, clasping his hands together and resting his chin on them. Mason stepped in the doorway and narrowed his eyes at his father. "I did stage my death, both mine and Mason's. I was too cowardly to ask for a divorce, and so I asked Andrew to help me out."

"What went down that day, Mr. Ward?" Ken breathed out and swayed to the side.

"I'm not a bad guy, honest."

"That remains yet to be seen, tell us what happened that day."

"Okay…I met Andrew that day and handed Mason to him. I put Mason's baby pajamas in the baby seat…" Jessica nodded and recalled Marissa showing them to her, it was one of the only things that survived that wreckage, but it was only a small piece of the cloth. "I got in the driver's seat, and drove as though I was losing control of the car. When I came close to the edge, I jumped out and watched the car go down and explode. We let it burn for a bit, he handed Mason to me and I took off. A few days later, I changed my name."

"Why did you ignore Freddie? Why Mason?" Ken shrugged and looked to the side. He'd always figured maybe let her have _one_, and it was Mason that she neglected.

"She was depressed enough, losing both her children would have made matters worse."

"And you think what you did wouldn't?" He winced as Jessica slammed her fist on her notebook. She was pissed that anybody would do something like this. "It is inexcusable. Why did you hide the fact that they even existed?"

"Because I knew that if Mason knew…he'd contact them…" Jessica gripped the edges of her notebook and tapped it on her legs.

"Mr. Ward, do you care at all about Marissa? Freddie?"

"Yes!" He looked up to her eyes and pressed his lips firmly together. "Even when it was too late, I wondered if I made the right decision. I thought maybe I should have taken Freddie, but didn't. I do care about them, though."

"Then if you care about them, and you care about your son, let them be in each other's lives." As far as she cared, he could stay out of their lives as much as he wanted to, but Mason and Freddie _needed_ to know each other. Not only that, but Marissa needed them. She stood up, the interview over. "We will be in back for you, maybe with a warrant." She and Catherine started to leave, then stopped and she looked back at him. "This may be unprofessional of me, but Mr. Ward. You disgust me. Even my boyfriend's father was less of a coward and just got the divorce. True, there's no comparing you two, but still…" Ken rubbed his head as the women left the house. He looked to his son, but only received a scornful look as Mason went back to his room and slammed the door shut. His heart was shattered, and now he fully expected to be headed to prison.

* * *

I hope you enjoyed this chapter, and I'm certain you'll enjoy the next chapter when it's up.


	66. Connection is Made

Boarded

A/N:

* * *

Chapter 66 (Connection)

Mason tossed a large suitcase on his bed and looked to the two already filled suitcases against his wall. He knew he could wait until February when he turned eighteen, but he wasn't running away, he just wanted to leave this place. He was merely packing in order to stay with someone else, anyone else. He couldn't stand his father any longer. This was the greatest lie, and he wasn't going to take it. Lindsey knew everything he was doing, she didn't agree with it, but she was going to support him no matter what.

All this place was to him was hell, pure hell. Tears formed at his eyes as he clenched his teeth shut. Why did he ever have to grow up here? Moving his eyes to a framed photograph of himself riding a bike with his two best friends, Will and Steve, he felt pain surge through him. Why did he still have this picture? Delicately, he picked up the photo and stared at the image of Steve. He groaned and slammed the photo against the wall, glass shattered everywhere. Pain, it was too painful for him. Las Vegas? He narrowed his eyes and stuffed his clothes into the suitcase. No, Las Vegas was _pure hell_.

Will, Steve, that corrupt lawyer who worked that Rose case, and now even his own father were just prime examples of the torture this town gave him. He closed his eyes and brought his hand to his head. "That beeping…it won't go away…" For three years, everything in this town reminded him of what his friend did to him, and of what he had done. His worst crime, accepting that $200 from the lawyer to shut him up about her using Will's accidental death to try and free her guilty client.

"He died because of me. Because of _me_." Will rummaged through the evidence file that _he_ found, and dipped his hand in the blood evidence belonging to the murderer. "_I_ gave him the wrong evidence…goddamn it!" He pounded his fist into the wall and his eyes widened as dust surrounded him. A huge hole now rested in the wall. "I don't care, I don't care, I don't care." Mason returned to filling up his suitcase, then closed it up. The beeping of a hospital monitor played in his head again and he shook his head. That was the noise that came every now and then when he thought too much about the whole situation. It annoyed him, it tortured him. He needed to get out.

Midnight. He looked out the window and saw Lindsey pull up next to his house. He grabbed his suitcases and tossed them out his window. He jumped out and hurried to the car, pushing the suitcases into the back and getting into the passenger seat. Lindsey looked at him with pity and shook her head. He knew she disapproved, but he knew she understood why he had to do what he was doing. "So, which suitcase are you taking with you and which do I take home with me?"

"I'm taking the brown suitcase with me, it has my utensils and everything." Lindsey nodded and began to drive off. Mason looked back at his house, that violent place where he nearly died, and then turned away. He wasn't going to look back, never look back. He wiped his eyes and looked to the radio. "How do you change the stations again?" Lindsey laughed and pressed a button on the radio, turning it to a rock station for him. "I really need to get more acquainted with technology, don't I?"

"Probably. Especially if you want to see your brother. Just remember not to call him a nerd or geek _too_ much." Mason laughed as Lindsey turned the corner. He wouldn't do that to Freddie. No, he wanted to learn everything about him. "Mom is going to have my head if she finds out about this."

"You act like you're not used to pissing your mother off."

"Touché." He closed his eyes and rested his head on the wall of the car, drifting his eyes up as they passed the old abandoned house. He clenched his eyes shut and Lindsey looked at him with worry. Where it all began, that house on Rose Street. A little hangout party with Steve and Mason, drinking and getting drunk. "We'll be at the airport soon. What are you going to do about your classes?"

"Fuck them, college means nothing to me right now…" He'd already withdrawn from them a week ago, when he'd found out about everything. "I've been planning this for a while, Lindsey." She frowned and looked into her rearview mirror. It was a cold, foggy night. Her headlights cut through that fog, but it was difficult with how thick it was. The night was September 25th. He was maybe going to fly to Seattle around the beginning of October. "You know, my dad may lose his job…he deserves it…"

"You know he's still your dad…Chances are, Freddie's wanted a dad for so long, he'll ask about him." Mason already prepared for that. He waved his hand dismissively and narrowed his gaze through the window. He wouldn't talk down about his father, he would tell the truth about him. Ken was a very good dad, there were many great things about him, he just made a really bad choice that killed how Mason saw him.

"Dad or not, I don't want anything more to do with him."

"There are worse things out there, worse fathers."

"Name one person whose got a dad that did something worse than what mine did." Lindsey frowned as she recalled the 'guy talk' she and Jessica had when they met up and talked about their boyfriends. She didn't say much about her boyfriend's father, but she didn't have to. It wasn't difficult to look up Tyler Elliot on Google and find whole articles about the man and his lifestyle. The things she'd seen that he'd done were enough to make her want to vomit and never eat again.

"My friend's boyfriend…" Mason frowned and shrugged his shoulders.

"Don't know him."

"If you ever go online, look up Tyler Elliot." Mason lifted his eyebrows and shrugged. The name sounded familiar, but not to the point where he recognized it. After a few minutes, she made it to the airport terminal. Mason took a deep breath and looked at her, he a wasn't too sure when he was coming back. He knew he would after a while, but until then, Vegas was nothing to him. "Will I see you again, Mason?"

"Yeah, someday…" Lindsey smiled as Mason leaned forward and kissed her lips. He left the car, grabbed his backseat, waved and kissed her once more, then left for the terminal. Lindsey watched with teary eyes as he left. She had a feeling that he wouldn't be returning to Vegas, and she wouldn't hold it against him if he never did. She couldn't believe the things she would do for that man, and in all honesty, why did she? She must love him. Wiping her eyes, she slowly drove away.

Mason's plane landed in Texas and his taxi took him to a hotel where he spent the night. The next day, he woke up later than he wanted to and hurried to Chestnut, reaching there around four. He smirked intuitively and began walking around, not knowing why he brought his suitcase with him. He did know he had a few things in there that he wanted Freddie to see, like photos and other objects. Some students waved at him and called him Freddie. Looking down at his suitcase, he needed a place to put his luggage. Just then someone nudged him on the shoulder. It was a Japanese student, about fifteen, and with shaggy hair. "Hey Freddie, what are you doing out here? Didn't you say to meet at your dorm?"

"Uh, I did?" Mason blinked and the kid stared at him for a second as he quickly corrected himself, realizing what this could mean for him. "Yes! I did! Lead the way, uh…" He rubbed the back of his head nervously and looked on the kid's uniform for a nametag or something.

"Dude, where's your uniform, anyway? Whatever, we have _got_ to discuss that new manga!" Mason raised his eyebrows with interest. So Freddie was into anime and manga? At least there was _something_ they had in common. Maybe he wouldn't appear totally stupid to one of Freddie's friends.

"Anyway, come on man!" The kid ran, so he ran after him. He was trying to think of some common Japanese names. How close was Freddie to this guy, anyway? He should have done more research on him before attempting to come here. "So hey, do we get to meet your hot girlfriend later today?" Mason rolled his eyes and sighed, boy this guy was stupid. Something told him Freddie wouldn't tolerate something like that coming from an acquaintance, but a close friend he might laugh it off as a joke.

"Hey kid, how close are we?"

"You don't remember? We met like a month ago."

"Ah, so then I would probably end up hitting you for calling 'my' girlfriend hot?" The kid laughed and shrugged.

"Maybe, but it was a joke anyway."

"Ah, so I see." Mason closed his eyes and nodded as he ran forward a bit, then smacked the kid sharply on the back of the head. "Don't talk about Melanie like that!" _Freddie_ might let it pass, but this kid just called his brother's girlfriend hot, and he didn't like that.

"I was _kidding!_ You know I've joked like that before."

"Do I care?"

"Geez, what hit you over the head?" Mason narrowed his eyes as his voice fell flat.

"A baseball bat." He clenched his teeth and grinned at the kid. "Would you like to know how that one felt? I can assure, it's a bloody mess!" The kid raised his eyebrow as they reached the dormitory building. As they entered, the student at the front desk looked up and stared at Mason in surprise. He pointed at him and Mason waved, smiling lightly.

"F-Freddie? You found Kite already?"

"Kite? Uh yeah, I think he found me."

"Weren't you just in your senior uniform?" Mason smiled sheepishly and nudged Kite forward, trying to move on. Yep, he _really_ should have thought this through. He groaned as Kite stepped in front of Freddie's dorm room, opening it and walking in. Mason entered the room and tossed his suitcase on the room's couch.

"Okay, so, the new manga came out. You've read it, right?" Mason's brow furrowed as he ran his fingers along his suitcase. He really didn't want to stay and chitchat, he wanted to find Freddie before anything _else_ weird and peculiar happened. "Anyway, sorry if I was late."

"Yeah, what time is it?"

"It's…" Kite looked at the alarm clock and frowned. Now would be the time for Freddie to be heading to the baseball game! "Aw man so I was too late." Mason raised his eyebrow as Kite started to head to the door. "We'll talk about it tomorrow, I guess, man. I understand you probably have to get ready for your baseball game." Mason walked into the bathroom, shrugging off whatever Kite had said. He wasn't trying to ignore him, he just had way too much on his mind to really be able to focus. He turned on the sink and splashed the water on his face, then stared into the mirror with realization. Baseball?

"Shit…" Freddie was into baseball, that was great for him. However Mason wouldn't be going anywhere near a baseball field, too many baseball bats equaled _way_ too many bad memories. He looked up as Freddie's friend left the room. He moved to a closet and opened it, finding a spare uniform. He rubbed his chin, thinking it could be a good idea to put that on.

Moments later after he had changed, he walked out of the building and started looking around curiously. He had to face his fears sometime, and try to find where the baseball area was. He wanted to see Freddie so badly, he wasn't going to let some past demon make him wait any longer. Just as he was starting to go, some random, annoying girl walked up to him. She actually _did_have a nametag on her uniform, Candice. She looked at Mason and smiled slightly.

"So, _Candice_, what brings you here?"

"I'm just visiting..."

"Really? Why was that?"

"I was thinking maybe I'd find Jeremy with the baseball team?" Mason raised his eyebrow as the corners of his lips drooped down. Candice tapped her lip and sighed. "Think he's still with that girl? Trent..."

"I know who you mean…" He rolled his eyes and groaned inwardly. The people Freddie knew were _horrible!_ "Now why would you…"

"Yeah, is she still hanging around him? I want to talk to Jeremy. We have some things we need to talk about..."

"Oh?" Mason chuckled once. This was beautiful! Lindsey told him that she and Jessica talked about some girl who was obsessed with her boyfriend, he never even dreamed he'd run into her. "So it's _you_? You're that person they were talking about?" She blinked as he rubbed his chin and eyed her closely, examining her. Looking away, she couldn't help but to wonder why he was acting like he'd never seen her before. He didn't think she was all that good looking, definitely not as pretty as Jessica was. Strictly a platonic thought, of course. "You don't even hold a candle…" Candice growled and moved her arms in a folded position. She was trying to ignore the urge to break down in tears. "I'm sorry, I don't mean to sound rude, but come on! Can't you take _no_ for an answer? That guy and Jessica, they're _dating!_ They've been together probably longer than I've been with my own girlfriend!"

"I figured they were."

"I got news for you…" Mason placed his hand on Candice's shoulder and brought his chuckles down, looking seriously into her eyes. "I've seen her talk about him, the look in her eyes is so pure, so innocent, it can't be replaced with anything. Now I'm pretty sure, from my understanding, they have a love so strong, they can never be torn apart. If you want to go through all the trouble, pain, sweat, blood, tears, just to be rejected time and time again, and then become bitter because you've wasted all your time trying to tear apart two people so deep in love that not even the heavens can destroy…be my guest. It'll only end in tears. Then on the other hand, you can move on to someone who _would_have you. I don't know who, but hey…" He closed his eyes and pat her shoulder again. She pulled away and rolled her eyes, this was not going how she wanted it to. "There's somebody for everybody. Now if you can point me in the way of the baseball courts, that'd be great. I had a little bout of amnesia, it's going away, but I need a little bit of direction."

"Oh…" She softened and shrugged as she stepped away from him. "Just go down this street, take a left, and keep walking."

"Thanks." He mock saluted her and took off, leaving her in a fit of confusion. It was not long before he made it to the game, and moved to the bleachers to watch. He swallowed hard and whenever the harsh memory threatened to surface, he did everything in his power to push it back down. "Can't stop me. Meeting my twin after all these is more important than some silly fears…"

Soon the game ended and he watched as Freddie walked away from the courts. His heart pulsed as Freddie started walking off. He froze. He wanted to call out, he wanted to run, but there was nothing he could do. He was so nervous. Freddie stopped walking and frowned, a pit in his stomach forming. He placed his hand on his stomach and narrowed his eyes, trying to figure out why the hell he had butterflies in his stomach. Mason clenched his hands in frustration and pounded his knees. _"Come on, turn around Freddie. Turn around!"_ Freddie tapped his bat gently on his shoulder and stared directly ahead. _"Come on Mason, move damn it! You didn't come all this way just to freeze up!"_

Freddie turned so his side faced towards Mason, he turned his head, and froze. Their eyes met, linking together instantaneously. Freddie's eyes widened and his lips parted in shock. Mason swallowed hard and held his gaze, terrified about what might happen next.

* * *

And boom, the connection is made, with the look in their eyes. I had written a chapter with Candice talking to Jeremy and Jessica, basically apologizing and telling them how she was moving on, how she was married and adopting a young child, but then 10 chapters later I realized that very well written chapter was MISSING. I got so pissed off that I just said "fuck it" and wrote a two paragraph synopsis of it at the beginning of the next chapter...which HAD been chapter 71 and is now chapter 70..


	67. Reunited

Boarded

A/N:

* * *

Chapter 67 (Reunited)

"Could you, maybe, put that away?" Mason pointed to the bat on Freddie's shoulder as his twin continued to gape at him. Freddie shook his head, regaining his senses, then set his bat on the ground. Mason smiled and hopped off from the bleachers and moved over to Freddie. "Hey, I'm Mason." Freddie was still in shock, but recovering quickly. He smiled slightly and nodded.

"I guess you're the one that sent me that email." Mason chuckled nervously and nodded. "I never even thought I had a twin. Does that mean Dad's alive?"

"Yeah, our father's still kicking." He sighed and leaned up against a tree. Mason knew what was happening, their dad would be arrested now. Brought up on kidnapping charges, for one, considering he took Mason with him. "Damn bastard." Freddie raised his eyebrow and stared questionably at him. For a second, Mason didn't realize Freddie had absolutely no idea what took place. "Our old man? Yeah, he faked his fucking death, faked my death too. He made me think _mom_ was dead."

"Well, she's alive and well. I didn't know that…" Now he felt guilty, because he'd called Marissa up to yell at her about lying all these years. He glanced down and narrowed his eyes. Why would their father do this? Did he not know how much that could affect someone?

"Apparently he couldn't stand the fact that she had a drinking problem and clinginess issues." Freddie's eyebrows lifted and he felt his heart begin to sink. He knew about the clinginess issues, they must have become much worse when she thought she'd lost her husband and baby. As far as the drinking, he never knew about that. This was news to him. Could she risk falling back into her drinking? If so, then he needed to get ahold of her. "I don't understand why, if he didn't want to be with her, he didn't just get a goddamn divorce. But…I didn't want to make you think poorly of our dad, I'm sorry." His eyes went apologetic and Freddie waved it off.

"It's fine, at least I know the type of man he was."

"No, he was a good father, regardless of his actions. He fucked up. Big time. But he still raised me right." Freddie smiled as he and Mason moved to the bleachers and sat down. He always wondered what his father was like, always hoped he was a good man. His greatest sin was, evidently, abandoning him. "I can tell you right now that if you met him, you would probably like him." He wasn't lying either, there was no doubt in his mind that Freddie and their father would get along very well. "I'll say that it was your girlfriend's cousin that got me to figure out who you were."

"Oh? You mean Jessica?"

"Yes." He paled a bit and Freddie raised a curious eyebrow. "She attacked me, thinking I was you. I was chatting with my girlfriend, kissed her, and then out of nowhere…here comes this one girl." Freddie laughed as Mason rolled his eyes. "Now Lindsey and Jessica are best friends! Wouldn't you know…"

"Good to hear." He'd heard a lot of amazing things that were going well for the girl, and was very happy for her. Melanie even told him that Jessica was working as an apprentice for the woman she always looked up to as a role model. "Things are really looking up for her, along with Jeremy."

"Yeah, for some reason, I don't know if I want to meet him."

"Why not?"

"I was with them when she and Lindsey were talking about that stalker and then his father, and how he basically kicked the guy's ass. He sounds like the type of guy you _don't_ want to piss off." Freddie pressed his lips together in inquisitive thought, imagining a very pissed off Jeremy. Usually, this didn't happen unless someone was threatening Jessica, Gibby, or someone else in his family.

"Nah, he's a good guy, just don't go putting those he cares about in any kind of risk and you're fine. He and Jessica both tend to have issues with anger when it comes to those they care about. They have awesome hearts, love each other a hell of a lot, care about everybody close to them and are very nice…if they're not pissed. Though, Jeremy _is _hard to get to know."

"He is? Why?" Mason sat up and Freddie shrugged his shoulders. It really wasn't his place to tell Jeremy's life story.

"If he ever trusted you enough to tell you, he would. He doesn't usually let people get close to him. Hell, he didn't let anybody close to him, Jessica basically had to push through all that concrete he had up."

"So basically, what you're saying is…she softened him up?" Mason smirked and Freddie laughed. It was true. Jeremy would hate to admit it, but Jessica really worked him over. "Dude, there's this girl that is really into him…"

"Candice? Yeah, I know. She hasn't bothered with him in a long time, though."

"I just ran into her, she was going on about him. I told her it seems, to me at least, those two have such a strong bond that she needs to give it up." Freddie laughed and applauded his brother. It was almost as though he took the words from his mouth. Speaking of, he did need to know how Mason got his spare school uniform. He hadn't noticed until now that he was even wearing it.

"So, out of curiosity." Mason raised an eyebrow as Freddie pointed to the uniform. "How did you get my spare uniform?"

"Oh! This one kid, Kite, let me in."

"Oh him, yeah we were supposed to meet up, but I had to come to practice."

"He thought I was you. Actually, everyone did. It was kind of funny, actually." Freddie tried to imagine how people would have reacted, seeing him leave, and then return again. Mason tapped his chin, looking upwards in thought. He sighed and closed his eyes. "By the way, how often do your friends hit on your girlfriend or call her 'hot' or 'sexy'?" Freddie coughed, then laughed. Kite was almost always talking like that. At first it irritated him, but over time he realized the boy wasn't even being serious, so he didn't care.

"None of them do it seriously, hell none of them really even do that. Irritated me at first when he did, but he wasn't serious."

"Oh. Cause you know…I smacked him upside the head for that."

"Oh? Okay good." He laughed once more and slowly stood up. "So, you like baseball?" Mason frowned and shook his head. He used to, before the whole incident with Steve.

"No. I did when I was younger, but…I can't really bother with it anymore." Pain flashed through his eyes, a familiar pain to Freddie. It was betrayal, something that just about everyone dealt with. He sighed and closed his eyes.

"I understand. I won't ask and you can talk about it whenever you want and I'll listen."

"Thank you." They remained quiet for a bit and stared off into the distance in thought. Just how drastic of a life change was this for them? Things were definitely going to be different. "You think they'll reunite me with mom?"

"Yeah, I think so. Don't see why not."

"Well, Dad _is_ going to jail, and I'm not quite eighteen."

"Doesn't matter, dad never actually died. Legally, she still has custody of you. Besides, this close to eighteen, I highly doubt they'd throw you in foster homes and whatnot."

"True…"

"Yeah. So…" Freddie clasped his hands together and clicked his tongue. He wasn't too sure what to do next. His day was over as far as school went, so he could do whatever he wanted. He definitely wanted to get to know Mason. "You want to hang? I know a few good places around here." Mason smiled and nodded without hesitation.

"I'd love to hang out, man."

"Awesome!"

After spending a few days in Texas, Mason decided it was time to go to Seattle. He'd learned a lot from Freddie, including the fact that they had another brother, in a way. He wanted to meet Jonah, Freddie's best friend and brother. Fortunately when he arrived at Marissa's home, Jonah and Valerie were there. They met him outside and were thrilled. "Hey, you're Mason?" Jonah shook Mason's hand as the sun glinted on Mason's teeth.

"Yeah. You're Jonah? Freddie told me a lot about you." Jonah smirked as Mason's eyes drifted over to Valerie. He smiled at her and shook her hand. "You must be Jonah's fiancé!" Valerie blushed and nodded. She placed her hand on her belly and sighed, she was really showing now. "When are you getting married?"

"In about a month." She smiled at him as Jonah placed his arm around the back of her waist. "I'm due sometime in December. So come in, your mom's really eager to meet you!" They had been keeping tabs on Marissa as of late, ever since they found out about the alcohol. Even today when they made it over, they caught the stench of gin upon her breath. When they found the bottle, they quickly got rid of it. Even Janet and Pam had been working feverishly to get her some help, and she gladly took the help.

"I can't wait." He followed them inside where they found Marissa sitting comfortably in the living room chair. Her eyes danced when she saw Mason, he was just how she always pictured him. "Mom…"

"Mason?" She rose and her eyes quivered. Tears escaped the corner of her eyes and she slowly approached him, believing him a dream or hallucination. "Is it really you?"

"Yes." He moved towards her as she lifted her arms up and sobbed once. Seventeen years, nearly eighteen, was a long time to be away. Tears stung his eyes as he walked into her arms. They hugged tightly, emotions exploding within them, their hearts skyrocketing. "I'm here mom. I'm here."

"My…son…" She squeezed him close and continued to weep. It was a miracle that he was here right now. She couldn't drink anymore, not now. Not when he was here, not when she could feel complete. She didn't want to poison herself, she wanted to be with him. She gasped and looked into his eyes, placing her hands on his arms. "Mason, you don't hate me?"

"Why should I hate you? You're my mom…you didn't do anything wrong."

"Thank you…" He hugged her again, tears streaming down his cheeks like rivers. "I'll never let you go again, sweetie. I don't want to lose you again."

"You won't. I promise." He wouldn't let go of her, he wouldn't let anything tear him away from his mother. Not after all this time. He would even help her curb her alcohol problem. He wanted to, he wanted to help her with everything. "I met Freddie." She smiled and looked into his eyes, still holding on to him.

"You did?"

"Yes. He's a great guy."

"I raised him right. At least…I think and hope I did…"

"Yeah mom, you did." She sniffed and released him, slowly sitting down. She couldn't help but to wonder what would happen with Kenneth. She knew he was arrested now, and she didn't really care to see him again. Not after all this drama. Even Pam and Janet said he wasn't worth all the tears she could cry, but Mason and Freddie were probably worth everything. All that mattered to her now was that Mason was here, they were reunited. Nothing, nothing in the world, could change how happy she felt about this. Though she couldn't help but wonder what everybody else had probably been thinking for so long, what the _hell_ was wrong with fathers nowadays? It almost made her want to become bitter, thinking about jackass after jackass, but at least there were a _few_ good men, like John and David, to name a few. If not for them, then all hope in the world for fathers would probably be gone with the wind.

* * *

That's sad though, father's just get the short end of the stick in this story. Pity. Coming close on an arc that will really start to wrap things up for the fathers. If you've ever seen the show "Ghost Whisperer" then you have some sort of idea how things are going to work, in my nod to that show. No crossover is made with it, so don't get any ideas. However it is mentioned that the person at one point of time in the past spoke with a ghost whisperer, possibly Melinda XD


	68. Knowing the Limits

Boarded

A/N:This chapter gets just a tad steamy towards the end, but again, you won't see anything major.

* * *

Chapter 68 (Knowing the Limits)

December 10th rolled around and Jeremy was at Jessica's school to visit her, they'd been missing each other's presence, but had been doing remarkably well. They were an inspiration to those who would have to go to separate colleges and have a long distance relationship, such as Freddie and Melanie. Jonah and Valerie, at least, would attend the same college, considering they'd already married. In order to save prices on college rooming, Jessica and Lindsey had struck up a deal that they could be roommates and Lindsey wouldn't force her to pay rent, just as long as she was respectful of the house rules and whatnot.

Jeremy was sitting on the couch, his arms stretched out on top of the beige colored sofa. He was wearing a black long sleeved shirt with a red stripe across the chest and blue jeans going down to his shoes. Jessica, who was wearing a red sweater with jeans, fit comfortably against his side, placing her hand on her chest and running her finger in slow circles. He smiled at her and moved his left arm from the top of the couch and rested it gently upon her shoulders. "I'm not one to wear sweaters, Jessica…"

"I know, but I think it looks nice on you." At least it wasn't a thick sweater. He usually wore t-shirts, no matter what the weather condition was like. He was only wearing this one because Jessica had given it to him as a gift. She breathed out and closed her eyes while resting her head upon his shoulder. She missed his scent, missed his touch. "Next year, you're going to transfer here?" He whispered his positive answer and she exhaled slowly. "Promise?"

"I promise." He had missed her greatly and whenever he saw a loving couple together, he thought about her. "I'm here now, that's all that really matters." She smiled brightly and pressed her palm gently on his chest, sliding her arm across and wrapping her arms softly around him. She breathed in his scent and lifted her eyebrows as the scent of cologne came to her nostrils. It was so pleasantly strong and masculine, it was turning her on. She lifted her eyes to him and groaned lustfully, shaking her head and sighing as he smirked at her. "What has you so turned on, Pussycat?" She blushed at her nickname. It was ironic that they had chosen cat pet names for each other, such as pussycat, kitten, and etcetera. With their past, people might think they hated cats and would detest cat pet names, but it was quite the opposite with them. He squeezed her gently and his eyes danced into hers.

"Oh nothing, my tiger…" She placed her hand gently against his cheek and leaned upwards, kissing his lips softly. He closed his eyes and hummed contently. Now what did he do to deserve such a loving and tender gesture? She pulled back and gazed into his eyes lovingly. "Jeremy, when did you start using cologne?"

"It's that Ungaro 3 cologne." Jessica had heard of it, it was somewhat new to her, but one of the best men's colognes out there. "Dad said I should start wearing cologne because evidently, women like it." Oh she liked it, she loved it. He could see it in her eyes and was getting a great enjoyment out of it. He'd actually looked up the top colognes and saw an article listing that specific cologne as the best. "Still not one to wear cologne, but I thought I'd give it a shot and see what you thought. Turns out, dad was right."

"Impressive." Now she needed to top this somehow. If he could wear a certain cologne that turned her on so damn easily, she needed to figure a way to turn him on. She, like he was, was not one to wear scents, but maybe there was a perfume that would turn him on. The best feminine perfume on the market was _Miss Dior Perfume_ by Christian Dior and it was a floral perfume composed of jasmine and roses, neroli and narcissus, iris, carnation, lily, patchouli, labdanum, oakmoss, ambergris, sandalwood, vetiver, and leather. It was a perfectly casual, fresh, and feminine perfume, providing an edge that made it a great casual and evening perfume. Definitely a rare combination and it fit her. It was expensive, though, and she happened to have a bottle that she received from Lindsey as a friend gift. She never had a reason to wear it, up until now. "I'll be right back, my Leo…" Jeremy raised his eyebrow as Jessica got up and ran from the living room. Chuckling to himself, he folded his arms over and looked at the light rose tinted walls.

Lindsey was cleaning up the house and was vacuuming Jessica's bedroom at the moment. Normally Jessica cleaned up her room and half of the house whenever possible, always one to do her part, and today was their typical cleaning day, but Lindsey told her she didn't have to worry about it since her boyfriend was visiting. She looked up from the vacuum as Jessica ran into the bedroom and closed the door, looking madly into her eyes. She motioned with her hand and Lindsey turned off the vacuum, wondering what was up with her friend. "What's got you in a craze?"

"He's wearing _cologne!_" Lindsey leaned her elbow against the vacuum handle and raised an eyebrow as Jessica moved swiftly towards her. "It's turning me on. I'm telling you, you have _no clue_ what effect that man can have on me."

"Oh?" Lindsey laughed as Jessica hurried over to her desk in the corner of the room. She watched her friend open the desk drawer and pull out the perfume. Smirking, she tilted her head and raised her eyebrows. "So, you finally found some time to use that?"

"Hell yes, I need to combat this. I have to see if it'll turn him on or not." Lindsey laughed once more as Jessica lightly sprayed some of the perfume on her. It was hard as hell to turn Jeremy on, it seemed. He never actually said out loud whether he'd been turned on about something or not, but inside, she always managed to turn him on somehow. "This is the perfect perfume for me, you know." Her friend nodded, she'd learned that when she learned just how much Jessica and her cousins loved flowers, and how each of their relationships began with a flower.

"Well go turn him on. Let me know if you're going to need the bedroom, so I can stop dusting and cleaning in here." She smirked as Jessica blushed and eyed the brown comforters on her queen sized bed. Sure, they were adults now, but they chose not to get into sex until marriage, having only faltered once to release all that frustrating sexual tension they had. She flicked her eyes to Lindsey, knowing well she was joking.

"No sex, but I wouldn't mind teasing him…" Jessica looked over as the door opened on its own, she hadn't closed it all the way. Lindsey was happy to see the two so happy, even though she and Mason had broken up a month ago. It was a sad time, but they knew that at least for now, it was best. He couldn't be with her and didn't want her to have to deal with a long distance relationship. She felt the same way as well. "Whatever gets him to hold me, you know." She placed the perfume bottle on her desk and suddenly her head shot up, the smell of cologne was in the room. The women looked over to see Jeremy leaning against the frame of the door, his arm up on the frame and his right leg crossed over his leg, a subtle smirk gracing his lips.

"I was wondering where you vanished to. I wanted to say, this is a beautiful house." Lindsey smiled, her pride lifted up as she stood straight.

"Thanks, I put a lot of work into maintaining this place." Jessica glanced over and tapped her foot once on the ground.

"Yeah, she's been cleaning a lot more lately, since she and Mason, you know…" Jeremy frowned and walked into the room, looking at Lindsey apologetically. She dropped her eyes, then lifted them back up, smiling cheerfully.

"I try my best to, as Jessica says, look at the now." Jeremy's eyes met Jessica's as her perfume wafted to his nostrils. She froze under his strong gaze, the heat started to rise up as he continued to walk towards her, their eyes locked. "She's a great friend, was there during that time and really helped to comfort me…" Lindsey watched the two with a raised eyebrow and tilted her head.

"Yeah, she's really good at doing all that." Lindsey sighed as Jeremy took Jessica's hands. "Floral perfume, huh? Never thought I'd see the day you wear perfume."

"Yeah, and it's all for you…are you turned on yet?" He smirked and lifted his eyebrows. Lindsey rolled her eyes and smiled as she turned her eyes to the doorway. She was happy to meet Jeremy and they were all going to have a great time over dinner and board games. "Not going to tell me, huh. As your girlfriend, I demand you tell me if I've turned you on." She smirked back at him, a dangerous glint in her eyes. Lindsey closed her eyes and started walking to the door, her smile widening.

"I think I'm going to go check on the oven. It's getting a bit hot in here." She closed the door for the two lovebird, wanting to give them as much privacy as she could. After all, Jessica had not seen Jeremy since the start of college. She earned it.

"You really want to turn me on, don't you?" He placed his hands on her hips as she slowly put her arms around his neck.

"It would be nice to know, a girl does appreciate these things."

He hummed and smirked, lifting his brows up. "Oh, so it _is_ more than just the little stuff."

"So much more…" She bit her lip and moved her eyes to his lips. He saw her gaze fall, practically begging for him to kiss her. He pulled her closer and she lifted her eyes up to his gaze. "So, do I turn you on?"

"Every second of every day…" Her eyes lit up and her lips curled into a smile. "When I look into your eyes, I see that love you have. When you show everyone that kindness in your heart…the way you always smile, no matter what. When you play the piano at the church…everything you do, everything you say, turns me on in every way." A blush slowly crept onto her face as he tightened his embrace. "You are everything to me, you are my world. I don't know what I'd do without you."

"You'd be lost, huh." She pouted a bit and gazed at him with a cute expression. Behind his neck, she flicked his hair with her index finger. He closed his eyes and chuckled.

"You shouldn't do that, you know I can't resist you when you start acting cute."

"Oh I know." She giggled and he raised his eyebrow.

"That's it kitten." She laughed as he lifted her a bit off her feet and kissed her lips passionately. She placed her hands firmly on his strong shoulders and moaned as she kissed him back. She pulled back and smirked as she pushed off from him and fell back onto the bed, laughing as she bounced onto her front. She placed her hand to her cheek and rested her elbow on her bed, gazing at Jeremy with a subtle smirk.

"Come here, you strong lion, you."

"Are you _tempting_ me?"

"Hmm, _maybe_ I am, maybe I'm not. What if I am?"

"Well…I might just pounce." He moved to the bed and she giggled as she lifted up and placed her hands on his chest, kissing his lips passionately. He moved his hands to hers and lifted them up, pressing his palm with hers and tangling his fingers with hers. She moaned deeply and her voice spiked as he pushed her back onto the bed and pinned her hands down, kissing her deeply. He pulled away and gazed into her loving eyes as she started to pant. Her bangs swayed in front of her eyes and her hair seemed to float to the crack in between the headrest and mattress. "You are so beautiful…but no sex, okay?"

"That's fine." She was trying to catch her breath, but it was very difficult to do so. The blood rushed to her face as she closed her eyes and lifted her torso up, moaning lightly. "We can at least make out, right?"

"I don't see why not." They knew their limit, how much they could handle before losing themselves to temptation. The more they made out, the more they were able to take before they had to pull away and move onto other things. Jeremy placed his hands beside her and she started to trail her hands up along his arms, to his shoulders, sending shivers down his spine as she felt his muscles.

"Dad's really been training you well, hasn't he."

"Yeah, I'm getting stronger each day."

"I can see that." He smirked and leaned down, pressing his chest against her as he started to kiss her neck. Her breath hitched and she gasped in surprise. "Oh, I can feel it too."

"Are you _sure_ that's my muscle you're feeling." She blushed deeply and smacked his back playfully as he held his smirk.

"You dirty pervert."

"You love it."

"Maybe so. Just…" She titled her head back and her eyes shot open as he started moving his hand along her body and suckling on her neck. She moaned and her breathing started to become labored. "Don't stop now…" He lifted his lips from her neck and she gazed back at him, pleadingly.

"I wouldn't be so evil." He moved his right hand up and cupped her cheek, gazing lovingly into her eyes. He knew not to go too far with her, and when she said enough was enough, then he was to stop. She did the same for him. He spoke softly as she brought her arms around his neck, tugging gently on him. He obliged and moved forward, crashing their lips together. He placed his hand behind her neck as she lifted her torso up to meet him. The tips of her hair brushed against the mattress as she made sure to hold herself up for him. Moaning lightly, he moved his hands down her back, sliding over the curve.

She moved her hands over his shoulder and along his torso, gripping the edges of his shirt. He pulled back slightly and raised his eyebrow. When he pulled back, she whimpered and leaned forward, crashing her lips back to his and pulling his shirt up. He sighed and sat up as she laid back and watched him remove his shirt. Her eyes widened and she smiled when she saw his full muscular, bare chest. She moved her eyes to the small scar on his side, a painful reminder of his father. She'd seen it before when they had gone swimming together and broke down then, but since then, they both had gotten used to it. She moved her eyes away and scaled his body. Licking her lips, she placed her hand on the center of his chest and pushed forward. "Down."

He chuckled as he fell back onto the bed and she flipped on top of him, straddling his waist and kissing him ferociously and running her hands along his chest. She lowered her hips with his and his eyes widened momentarily. She continued to kiss him, he closed his eyes and ran his hands along her body. She then sat up and gazed into his eyes as she slowly began to remove her shirt, revealing her black lace bra. Jeremy's eyes widened and he cupped his hand around her covered breast, he knew not to remove the bra. This alone was damn near too tempting for him. She fell onto him, pressing herself against him as she kissed him passionately. He closed his eyes and wrapped his arms around her. She was so petite compared to his size, he knew he needed to be gentle with her. She pressed her hips down and gasped sharply. Even fully clothed below the waist, it still tickled her.

He slowly breathed out as she pulled her lips away an inch and gazed into his eyes. His chest rose and fell as he kept his gaze locked with her. He didn't want to take advantage of her, he knew they were going a bit too far now. She panted and watched him slowly bring his finger up and press it to her lips. "Jeremy?"

"Shh…lay with me…If we continue, I may not be able to stop myself." She blinked and slowly smiled, respecting and admiring him for calling an end to their making out.

"Okay." She cuddled beside him, laying on top of his arm. She kissed his lips tenderly and smiled at him, trailing her finger up the middle of his chest. He looked to her face and trailed his eyes over every beautiful feature, gently brushing her bangs from her eyes. "Jeremy…I, I want to say something…"

"Okay." He met her eyes as she slowly breathed out.

"I'm just going to skip the talk and come right out with it, okay?"

"That's fine." They didn't usually like to beat around the bush, more often than not they just came out and said how they felt about something. Their actions, their passionate moments, often did the talking for them.

"Well…" A blush crept to her face once more and Jeremy's eyebrows rose a bit. He made her incredibly happy, every time she was with him. She felt that there was nothing that could tear them apart, they were so strong together. He made her feel like a woman, he made her feel loved, cherished, special, as though she were the only woman in the world. Nobody ever made her feel this way before, and she definitely never felt this way for _anybody_ before. He could see it in her eyes, and she knew it. She was almost certain she could see it in his, but they wanted to hear the other say it. "I've fallen for you, head over heels. I'm in love…I…love you." Jeremy's eyes grew a tiny bit as the blood rushed to his face. Her blush deepened and she tried to shake it off of her, but to no avail. His eyes softened as looked up at her. She was now sitting up on her side, gazing down into his eyes. "So there…I said it. I've felt this way for, a while, now. I don't know how you feel, but-"

"Hey…" He placed a finger to her lips and she quieted. He smiled at her and lowered his voice. "I love you, too. I've loved you for…well, I'm not sure exactly when I fell for you, but I do know where my feelings for you are." She gasped lightly and her lips grew into a smile. She had not been certain what his response would be, and now she knew. Her heart lifted up and she lowered herself, kissing him. He kissed her back softly, a new feeling now brewing in their hearts. She pulled back, teary eyed, choking out a joyful cry.

"Thank you…You know, no man's ever made me feel…like you have…"

"And there's never been a woman to make me as happy as you make me, you are the greatest person to come into my life." She smiled as he placed his hand on her chin and leaned upwards kissing her tenderly.

After a minute, they heard a gentle knocking at the door. Their eyes widened and they started to look over at the door. They'd forgotten about Lindsey. "I'm giving you to the count of seven before I come in." They gasped and quickly grabbed their shirts from the floor beside their bed. Jeremy quickly put his shirt on and Jessica placed hers on backwards. He looked at her and pointed, but Lindsey walked in before she could do anything. Lindsey eyed Jessica's shirt and folded her arms over, smirking. "Uh huh." Jessica blushed furiously and quickly protested.

"Nothing happened! We just kissed a little, that's all…"

"Says the girl with her shirt on _backwards_ now." Jeremy chuckled slightly and smirked.

"She's got you there, Jessica." Jessica narrowed her eyes and slowly glared at him, which caused him to quickly shut up and look away. He knew when she glared like that, he'd better quit before something scary happened. Lindsey laughed and shook her head.

"You two are so cute! Anyway, dinner's done and I have Monopoly out of the closet. So, whenever you're ready…" Jeremy smiled at her and nodded.

"We'll be right out, thanks."

"Alright then…" She tapped her chin and chuckled, her lips curling into a sly smile. "You got five minutes." She turned and left the room, closing the door behind her. The two lovers breathed out sighs of relief and started to laugh, they both knew Lindsey was probably going to get them back by either teasing the hell out of them or doing something else. They earned it, but as far as they were concerned, any trouble they got into was worth it.

* * *

Next chapter, the group has a little fun together.


	69. Happier Times

Boarded

Disclaimer: Don't own iCarly

A/N: Two songs are focused on in this chapter, and I don't own either of them. Hell nearly 70 chapters and I just realized I don't have my disclaimer up…I'm not going to bother correcting all those chapters, but dang.

* * *

Chapter 69 (Happier Times)

After dinner, everyone was in the kitchen, helping to clean up. They had a very good dinner. Lindsey made a few big sirloin steaks, baked potatoes, and hot cinnamon apples. She was washing the dishes while Jessica washed the counter and Jeremy cleared up the table and was going to clean it, then set up monopoly. Lindsey had the hot water running and was looking over as Jeremy and Jessica exchanged a quick, tender kiss, before getting to work. "Just remember, no shenanigans you two." Jessica blushed and Jeremy cleared his throat. They weren't going to do anything indecent. No, why would they ever do that?

"We're not doing anything, right Jeremy?"

"Yeah, why would we _ever_ do anything indecent?" Lindsey rolled her eyes and smirked as Jason started stacking the plates upon one another. "You know, Valerie and Jonah had their baby a few days ago." Jessica heard about that from Melanie and wished she could be there, but sadly, with college and the apprenticeship, she couldn't visit Seattle.

"I know! Melanie said Valerie would send some pictures of the baby." Valerie and Jonah were both going to start out at Stanford during the spring semester, having wanted to wait till the baby was born before they started college. Valerie's parents were more than willing to help take care of the baby while they were at college for the first semester, then once the two were settled into college and purchased an apartment together, got their house all set up, they'd raise their baby together. "I think a baby is great, I'm glad their families are happy with the arrangement."

"Yeah, babies are cute." Jeremy placed all the dishes on the side of the sink for Lindsey, who grabbed a plate and began to wash it. She smirked deviously and looked to the happy couple.

"Well we all know neither of you are virgins…" They stopped and paled as they stared in shock at the woman. They didn't need or want any children anytime soon.

"Did _not _say they were that cute. Don't need any kids for a while, and definitely not until marriage happens." Jessica looked to Jeremy and her heart rose up. She knew he wasn't suggesting, and they'd talked before about the subject of marriage. It would not be something they'd truly consider for a while, at least not until after college.

"Then you two might want to be careful with those make-out sessions."

"Yeah…" He moved his eyes to Jessica, who blushed furiously, then went to help Lindsey with the dishes. Jeremy moved silently back into the living room and made his way to the closet they said the _Monopoly_ game was in. He could hear the girls laughing about something, but didn't really bother much in wondering about it. He grabbed the board game from the closet and investigated the box, it had a bit of tearing around the corners, but aside from that, it was in pretty good condition. "So we have sex one time and all of a sudden everyone thinks we're not going to be careful?"

"We do know our limits, Lindsey." Jessica bit her lip as she started wiping the counters and stove. She said they knew their limits, but tonight wasn't the first time it didn't nearly flare out of control. She just couldn't get over the feel of his hands upon her. The first time they made love was so wild, so rough, so passionate, it was addicting. She craved more, but she knew they shouldn't have sex. "There's too much at stake. I need to focus on my apprenticeship with your mom, college, and-"

"I was joking, Jessica dear." Jeremy chuckled as he opened the box up and pulled the board out, unfolding it and setting it on the center of the table. It seemed everything was set up really well. The money was in its holder, the pieces were in their places, everything was perfect. He set the box on the table and started laying the money on the sides of the board, then began setting up the chance and chest cards. Lindsey poked her head out the doorway and watched Jeremy setting up the game, chuckling inwardly. "Hey, uh, Jeremy!" He stopped and looked at her curiously. "Change of plans, we're playing that music game. You know, with the guitars, the drum, and the microphone? Everything's in the garage."

"Oh. Okay then." He turned back to the board game with a heavy sigh. The girls must have decided on that just now, they must have a good reason for it. He felt Jessica's hands begin to run down the sides of his arm as she leaned against his back. She smiled and softly kissed his neck.

"I'm done with my tasks, let me put up the game, okay?"

"Sure." He turned around and kissed her lips before walking off to the garage. She began putting everything back and looked over as Lindsey moved to the television and gaming console. It was not long before everything was set up. Jessica was on the microphone, Jeremy was on the guitar, and Lindsey was on the drums. "So we get to hear you sing some more?" She shrugged as they started sifting through the songs, trying to decide which ones to do. They could make a selection.

"Hey look at this one guys." Lindsey lifted her eyes to the screen as Jessica used the controller to shadow over the song _Deadbeat Dad_ by Anvil. Jeremy raised an eyebrow and Lindsey chuckled and shook her head. They all knew a thing or two about those kinds of fathers.

"Yeah Jess, you're the only one _without_ a screwed up dad."

"I guess…" She felt bad, because it was pretty much true. Tyler Elliot, Hector Puckett, Kenneth Benson, even Carly's dad, Steven Shay, had been a father who was never there. Lindsey herself had a screwed up father, before he was killed. Lindsey straightened herself up and grinned.

"For all the messed up dads in the world, let's do this song! Jeremy has to sing, though!" Jeremy lifted his head up and started to pale as the girls both smirked his way. He hadn't really heard this song before, but he was a bit worried that his voice might be too deep for any of the songs.

"I don't think so, ladies."

"Come on Jeremy, _please_?" He smirked at her, then his eyes drifted over to Jessica. She wanted to do the song, so she pushed her lower lip out and looked at him with somewhat sad eyes.

"Please Jeremy, do it for _me_?"

"Hey, you're the one with a _good_ dad! Sure I have a great father now, but _still_."

"Please, baby? I want you to…" He stared at her as she moved closer to him. She'd never heard him sing before, so she really did want to hear this. She placed her hands upon his chest and looked into his eyes, letting a small whimper leave her lips. He couldn't stand it, he was cracking down already. Groaning, he gave in and removed his guitar.

"Fine."

"Yes!"

"Just don't get used to this…" She giggled as she took the guitar from him and handed him the microphone. They selected the song and prepared for it to play. He tapped his foot on the ground, his eyes watching the screen. Once they began to appear, his voice rang out, deep and clear. Jessica and Lindsey were shocked into inaction, only moving to action when Jeremy looked at them with concern as to why they stopped the instrumentals. "A failed marriage left the mother to care. Love is gone, but the kids are still there! A broken home has become commonplace, the look of anguish on the child's face. _Gone_ and _Lost!_"

He closed his eyes, he actually had heard this at some time before, he just couldn't place where. His heart started to swell, he was really getting into it. It was starting to hurt, though, but he had to give the girls what they wanted. "Being there just for conception, made a promise that was all a deception! _Gone,_ and _Lost!_" Thinking of Freddie, of Sam, of all the ones out there with shitty fathers, and finally his own birth father, finally coming to grips with the asshole his dad truly was and deciding to let him go.

"Deadbeat dad, support he won't pay! Deadbeat dad, always staying away! Deadbeat dad, in disgrace and despair! Deadbeat dad, to the kids it's not fair!" Jessica and Lindsey watched him, they thought they saw tears at his eyes. His chest began to ache as he pictured Tyler glaring at him. "Biology an only go so far, when you're gone it leaves a scar! Children learn to live without, being there is what it's all about. _Gone_ and_ Lost_, _Pay the cost!_"

He had to think, there were so many songs better than this, such as _Father of Mine,_ by Everclear. Though, the ultimate one he'd have to say, he'd show the girls next. "Deadbeat dad, lost in a haze. Deadbeat dad, set in his ways. Deadbeat dad, a loser at heart! Deadbeat dad, won't do his part!" He continued to sing until the song ended, then he turned to the girls and they applauded. "Thanks, but that's not the best choice." Jessica rubbed her chin and nodded slightly.

"I suppose, I mean that song was mostly about child support. What would you have us do?"

"I saw this song pass down the list…" He grabbed the controller and moved to Simple Plan: _Sorry I Can't be Perfect. _Lindsey lifted her eyebrows and met Jessica's eyes, they pressed their lips together in astonishment and returned to their weapons as the music began to play. Jeremy closed his eyes, he'd have to ignore the fact that his voice was too deep for this, but that wouldn't be hard. In his mind, he imagined Freddie, Mason, Sam, Gibby, and Melanie all standing beside him. Lindsey sang with them.

"Hey dad, look at me. Think back and talk to me, did I grow up according to plan? And do you think I'm wasting my time, doing things I want to do?" Somewhere, where Freddie, Mason, Sam, Melanie, and Gibby were, they begun to think of this song and to sing it in their minds. Not sure why, but their hearts were exploding in a fire of emotion.

"And now I try hard to make it, I just want to make you _proud_. I'm never gonna be good enough for you. I can't pretend that, I'm alright, and you can't change me." Tyler's memory slowly started to fade away, as Jeremy felt he was singing to his own father. It seemed each verse played a vital role per person. "'Cuz we lost it all, nothing lasts forever. I'm sorry, I can't be, _perfect_. Now it's just too late, and we can't _go back_. I'm sorry I can't be…perfect." He opened his eyes, everyone could feel the pain of their fathers. Why were dads such shitheads these days? "I try not to think about the pain I feel inside. Did you know you used to be my hero? All the days you spent with me now seem so far away, and it feels like you don't _care_ anymore!"

At least Jonah's father had not become one of the crappy fathers, though he may have been on the road to it. He was a good dad, as was Valerie's dad. "And now I try hard to make it, I just want to make you proud. I'm never gonna be good enough for you. I can't stand another fight, and nothing's alright." He moved his hand to his side and Jessica watched as his grip tightened over where the scar was. She swallowed as Jeremy continued singing.

"'Cuz we lost it all, nothing lasts forever. I'm sorry, I can't be perfect. Now it's just too late and we can't go back, I'm sorry, I can't be _perfect!" _Gibby may have suffered a great deal at Tyler's hands, Jessica knew that very well, but what Jeremy never did was talk about _his_ past. The stronger one, the one that Tyler tried to mold into his way more than anything, Gibby would have been a simple lost cause to him. No, there had to be a reason Tyler favored Jeremy.

"Nothing's gonna change the things that you said, nothing's gonna make it right again. Please don't turn your back, I can't believe it's hard just to talk to you, but you don't understand…" Jeremy's eyes reflected his sorrow as he clenched his hands up.

_A young boy, age of five stood at home base, his baseball bat flat on the baseplate, tears in his eyes as his father screamed at him. He wouldn't amount to anything, he couldn't hit a single home run, he was nothing. He watched his dad walk away, just days before it all went to hell and he lost his job as an electrician. Evidently some accident while on the job, he never told his kids much about it, so they didn't know a thing. Tyler Elliot was no longer the father, no longer the hero, he was supposed to be._

_A little girl cried as she watched her mother and sister stare at her while the driver moved away. She was to be taken away to her aunt's home. Pain gripped her stomach as she started to realize maybe she was too soft. Her father, an abusive prick._

_ A boy cried in the corner of his room, just short of nine years old, his knees to his chest and tears dripping down his face. He couldn't tell his older brother, he just couldn't. He was safe from this, wasn't he? It was only the kids at the park. God he loathed his name, he hated the way his father said his name. _

"'Cuz we lost it all, nothing lasts forever, I'm sorry I can't be perfect. Now it's just _too late_ and we can't _go back_, I'm sorry, I can't be _perfect_."

_ A small boy, ten years of age, walked with his mother in the park. Where was his father? He was dead? He never knew his father, never had one, but wait, his father abandoned them. His dad didn't want them? Was that the case? He didn't want them?  
_

_ A girl cried as she watched her mother fall to the ground just days before she was to go off to boarding school. Her dad ordered her out of the room, but she wouldn't leave her mother behind. Why was daddy like this? Why was he so angry? Why did he hurt mommy? He didn't used to be like this before, he used to be so loving. Before the accident, he was easily agitated, but not abusive. What changed?  
_

_ A memory that appeared to him only in nightmares, a small baby watching his father's car drive off of a cliff, the image replayed in his mind over and over throughout the years. His dad jumped out. Everything he knew was a lie, everything from birth was a lie. His father was such an asshole, he felt the need to lie to his own son and screw his entire life over. It wasn't fair!_

Jeremy, Freddie, Mason, Sam, Melanie, and Gibby felt each other's souls joining together. Their minds ran through the final bits of the song. Even Lindsey could join in. Too much "daddy drama" to take for all of them, too much pain and suffering, but at least everybody could be secure about themselves.

"_We try not to think about the pain we feel inside, did you know you used to be our hero, all the days you spent with us, seem so far away, and it feels like you don't care anymore. And now we try hard to make it, we just want to make you _proud_, we're never gonna be good enough for you, can't stand another fight. Nothing's all right, we lost it all, nothing lasts forever, we're sorry we can't be _perfect_. Now it's just too late, and we can't go back, we're sorry, we can't be…perfect…" _

Jeremy opened his eyes as he sang out the final verse and lowered the microphone. Jessica slowly stood up, concerned about him. "Jeremy?" He grunted slightly and shook his head quickly, looking to her and smiling as he handed her the microphone.

"Your turn, I'll take my guitar back now." His eyes met with hers and she nodded her head, smiling slightly at him.

"Okay." Jeremy took his guitar and strapped it around his shoulders while Lindsey and Jessica choose the next song.

Freddie, at the boarding school, ran to the last base and made his way to the benches slowly, rubbing the back of his neck and sighing heavily. Melanie, was watching him from the bleachers, her breathing slowing down. In Seattle, Gibby was playing football with his little brother, held up his hand as the sweat dripped down his neck. He needed a break. He wiped his head with a towel strapped around his neck and sat against the fence, placing his arms on his knees while Guppy ran inside to grab some water. Sam, who was busy studying, was unable to focus on her studies. She leaned back in her chair, placed her hands behind her head, and stared at a poster of a waterfall on the wall above her. Mason was watching a show with his mom, his eyes glazed over in memory. All of their minds were spinning, going back into the past. Each of them feeling sick to their stomachs.

_"Dad! Dad, look what I found!" Little four year old Jeremy ran up to his father, the warm sand squishing between his toes with each step. Tyler was looking off into the sky, the wind blowing through his hair. He looked down at his son, smiling softly at him. He then frowned when he saw Jeremy with tears in his eyes, he was holding a dead fish in his hands. "It won't move! I saw it flopping on the beach and it stopped moving!"_

_ "Let me see this…" He knelt beside his son and gingerly took the fish in his own hands, looking over it carefully. It was still alive, but barely. Jeremy started to sob, but Tyler merely smiled at him. "It's going to be okay, we'll just return him to the water."_

_ "It'll live?" _

_ "It should." Jeremy smiled and wiped his eyes with his arm, following his father to the ocean waves. He watched as Tyler released the fish into the water. "If it survives, then it is not this creature's time to go."_

_ "It's not? What does that mean, though?" He looked up at his dad, who was frowning slightly. He didn't want Jeremy to learn about death at such a young age, but it was something he had to learn about. Tyler looked out to the water and closed his eyes, breathing out softly as Jeremy clung to his pant leg.  
_

_ "No. It means the fish will pass away if it is its time. All things die, my son. Just as we live and breathe, there comes a time when that will all come to an end. Whether or not it is abruptly, peacefully, or however it is…our lives all end at some point of time." Jeremy swallowed hard and closed his hands up, tears threatening his eyes. It wasn't fair, death wasn't fair. That fish should live, he wanted that fish to live. Nothing should die! He slowly nodded and looked to the ocean, his heart lifted and he smiled as he saw the fish flop and begin to swim away. Tyler placed his hand upon his shoulder and pointed out. "Look son, there it goes!"_

_ "Yay!" He and Kyle loved their dad, they'd do anything to make him proud or to make him smile. Why just the other day, Kyle scraped his knee and Tyler bandaged it up with care. "I love you daddy, do you think when it's our time, that we'll all be together until then? I hope so."_

_ "Nobody knows what the future entails, Jerry. For all you know, we could very well hate each other." Jeremy paled and Tyler gave a slight laugh before picking him up and letting him sit upon his shoulders. "I'm joking, son. Let's go for a walk."_

Jessica and Lindsey could tell Jeremy's thoughts were elsewhere. Though he was doing well on the game, he was being oddly looked at each other with worried gazes, then returned to the game. Despite acting like he was in a trance, he was hitting each note with feverish skill. His face was hardened, however, and he seemed incredibly tense. Maybe Jessica would have to give him a massage later.

_"I said one flavor, Samantha." Five year old Sam Puckett looked up at her father with the cutest eyes she could muster. Her sister, Melanie laughed as Sam began to pout, it always worked for Melanie and other things, so she was going to use it to get _both_ flavors!  
_

_ "But I wan' Rocky Road and Min' Chocko Chip! I wan' them both, and I'm going to have them both." He laughed and rubbed Sam's hair, his girls were his pride and joy. He would do anything for his daughters, and why not? They were precious angels. He hoped to see them grow into strong women and prayed they would find men one day that could be just as strong and firm. Then again, he didn't want _any_ men around his daughters, not without knowing who the guy was and knowing he wouldn't hurt his angels. "Pwease Daddy?" _

_ "If your sister can only have one, then you only have one. If I give you two, then she's going to want two." Her face paled and she looked over at Melanie, it always seemed like she got whatever she wanted or that she had an influence on the things that Sam wanted. She stuck her tongue out at Melanie, who gasped and looked up quickly at her dad. She felt bad for her sister, and wanted Sam to be happy.  
_

_ "Let her have two, I only want one anyway!" She wanted two scoops, but she wasn't going to say that. Her sister was the assertive one, not her. Hector tapped his chin lightly as the ice cream vendor watched him impatiently. Sam grinned and bounced up and down._

_ "Please?" He took a deep breath and sighed as he pulled the money from his wallet and handed it to the vendor, he never could win against Sam when she started pleading. _

_ "I'll have two cones, one with Rocky Road, and the other with two scoops: Rocky Road and Mint Chocolate Chip." The vendor nodded and soon produced the ice cream cones. The girls squealed for joy as they began to eat their ice cream cones._

_ "Thank you daddy!" He beamed with pride and began walking the girls down the street. Sam stepped into the street, licking her ice cream cone, not watching where she was going. Hector's eyes grew wide as a speeding car approached her._

_ "Samantha!" Sam looked up in shock as Hector quickly grabbed her and pushed her out of the way. Melanie caught her and the ice cream in her hand flew off._

_ "My ice cream!" A thud was heard several feet away from the accident and the girls paled as they turned to see the car speeding off, their father lying unconscious on the ground. "Daddy! Daddy!"_

_ A happier time, but Hector was never the same after that._

Sam leaned forward in her desk chair and moaned as her cell phone began going off. Checking it quickly, she noticed a text from Melanie, saying she'd just been thinking about their dad and wanted her to call her up. She closed her eyes and slowly exhaled as she dialed her sister up, they had much to talk about. Evidently Freddie's baseball game wasn't the top thing on her twin's mind.

_"Why can't I chase the ducks?" Six year old Mason asked as he and his dad walked through the park. He was staring at a small flock of ducks walking around on the ground just near the water. Kenneth rubbed his head and smiled at him._

_ "Ducks are known to attack."_

_ "Oh. Can I ask you something?"_

_ "Sure, what is it, son?" Mason breathed in as he looked out to the water, watching the waves ripple with the soft breeze. He loved this lake, more than anything. Closing his eyes, he felt a strange jump in his stomach and looked to his father._

_ "Sometimes, I feel these weird things. Like sometimes I feel sick for no reason, or I feel a strange joy…sometimes I'll be watching cartoons and I start crying. I don't understand this." Kenneth frowned and looked away, cursing young twin telepathy. At least he could probably pass it off as strange occurrences._

_ "Don't worry too much about it, if these continue, we'll take you to see the doctor."_

_ "Okay daddy."_

He could never believe his father to have lied to him. He looked to his mother and smiled, he was so happy to be with her. At least she wasn't abusing alcohol anymore. His phone started to go off and when he answered, it was a prison asking if he'd accept charges.

He thought for a minute. Only his father would be calling him from jail. The guy hadn't had his trial just yet, but it could be a long while. There was no fixing what had been done, no longer. _Perfect_ by Simple Plan really was the best song for this occasion.

"No. I don't accept." He hung the phone up and Marissa looked at him with concern. He smiled at her and waved his hand dismissively. "It was nothing."

Nothing, just another deadbeat dad.

Where had the happier times gone.

* * *

A very somber chapter. I kind of wanted Jeremy's memory to be the last one, but I thought against that. There were definitely some happier times for them all, times when their fathers were good. You're in for a series of shocks and twists coming up in the 70s chapters. Enjoy!


	70. Ghostly Fathers: Supernatural Christmas

Boarded

Disclaimer: I do not own iCarly!

A/N: First paragraph is going to be a synopsis of a chapter I wrote that should have been seventy, and continued to write 10 more chapters until I realized that all the info I wrote in that one chapter was _GONE_.

* * *

Chapter 70 (Ghostly Fathers: Supernatural Christmas)

Soon after the time with Lindsey, Jeremy and Jessica had been at the his apartment watching a romantic movie. Jeremy never had been into those kinds of movies, but watched it for her. They'd been surprised when Candice had visited them that day, she came to them a new woman, begging for their forgiveness and saying that she was marrying a man, Brandon, who she had known since before she ever met Jeremy. Jeremy had once thought the two would have been perfect for each other, even though the man was about five years older than she was.

He and Jessica were happy to hear this, and also happy to hear she was moving on well with her life. She said she'd seen what happened to them with Lenny and didn't want to be him. Seeing the softer side of her, Jessica could forgive her. She assured her that she was nothing like Lenny and Jeremy told her that because she knew the problem and was willing to avoid it, then she was nothing like him. Candice had no more reason to feel guilty, they certainly were not holding her actions against her. After all, like her, they had moved on with their lives. Brandon had been with her every step of the way, telling her she needed to seek out their forgiveness. She tried to find them once, but ran into Mason, thinking he was Freddie, and was told they weren't at the boarding school. Someone had informed her of where they were and Brandon put her on a plane.

Candice also stated that because her new husband was doing so well with his life and making lots of money, they were just going to start a family and she was moving to Washington. She didn't want to bother with college because they were also in the process of adopting a seven year old girl. Jeremy and Jessica were surprised that they were adopting a kid that age, but Candice said they wanted to skip the baby years and they instantly fell in love with this girl. They were proud of her for turning her life around, gave her their best wishes, and spoke with her for the next few hours before she had to leave for Brandon, who was waiting for her back at the hotel. They were certain she would have a new life as she left with a happy, teary smile, thankful for their forgiveness. She was too emotional when Jessica gave her a friendly hug and Jeremy basically pat her on the back. He didn't talk much during the whole thing, it was Jessica who carried on the conversation. They would likely not see her again, but nobody really knew the future all that much.

Over Christmas break, Valerie and Jonah were visiting her family. Her baby was now one year old and was about to be showered with its first Christmas gifts. They were all in the living room, the large Christmas tree reached up to the ceiling and was adorned with many orbs and other decorations. Beneath it, enough presents to fill a large moving truck. Next to the tree was a brown fireplace with a stone foundation, and next to that was a large television. On the other side of the room was a long L shaped couch and a brown table in front of it. Beside the couch was a deep blue recliner chair, resting upon the peach colored carpet. In front of the fireplace, the chair's back facing it, rested a small rocking chair. Valerie, Jonah and their daughter sat in the corner of the L on the couch, with three seats stretching out from them on either side. Valerie cradled her baby in her arms. Jonah was on the left side, Valerie on his right. Beside her was Vanessa, Vixen, and Victor. Next to Jonah was Veronica and Vincent, Viola was seated in front of the tree. In the blue recliner sat their 75 year old grandmother, Verna, who was their mother's mom, and the only grandparent that was currently living. She was extremely proud to be alive to see her great granddaughter. Currently, the younger siblings were all playing with baby Rachel. It was odd to see that a 17, 15, and 13 year old could be so easily distracted by their new niece. Victor rubbed his chin as everyone watched the fun, he hated to break their fun, though.

"Okay girls, it's time to unwrap presents." Now that should be more fun, but what could beat a newborn baby, honestly? The teens lifted their heads up and cheered, for they were all just equally excited to unwrap the gifts. Vixen and Veronica were the ones to run to the tree, they were going to hand out gifts. Victoria decided to wait, feeling a bit uncomfortable. To her, there were more people than she wanted in the house. This always happened around major holidays, and on occasion, random other days. Ever since she nearly died several years ago from a fall she had in the backyard, she had begun to experience strange things, but was always afraid to speak up about it. Victor looked to his daughter questionably and smiled. "Victoria, aren't you going to hand out gifts with your sisters?"

"Huh?" She looked up and gasped, a man was standing behind her father. He had a sharp look, smoothly combed hair, and was wearing a suit. She blinked and shook her head. Great, the first visitor of the day, already they were pouring in. This was just one of those days that Heaven and Hell would allow the souls they had to visit their loved ones, with several restrictions though. They were much different than ghosts. Spirits couldn't much of anything, ghosts could do a lot.

"Uh, no, I think I'll just sit here and watch…" The man was in his forties, and he looked very dapper. The sad thing about spirits was, on occasion they looked like they did when they died, but that was only the first time. They usually cleaned up after that. The first time she saw this man, he had a couple gunshot wounds in him. Now, he did not look like death and was a lot less of a scare.

"Valentine, look at the precious little baby!" Victoria turned her head to an older woman with grey hair in curls, she had a very pleasant look on her face and a broad smile. Her clothes were white, which meant she had died of old age and nothing more. "Isn't she adorable?" Victoria's head spun as she rolled her eyes and ignored the two. Though, she couldn't ignore the fact that there was an older man trying to talk to Verna, but to no avail, since she obviously couldn't hear him. Her eyes drifted over to two other presences in the room, admiring the baby. A woman with soft brown hair falling to her shoulders and a man, his arm wrapped around her waist and gazing with a bright smile, she recognized the man. Michael.

"Now why do I feel like I'm in an old folk's home right now?" Michael asked with a laugh.

"Michael!" Denise playfully smacked him and he rubbed his side, chuckling softly. She looked to the elders and placed her finger to her lips. "Be quiet, can't you see you're disturbing the girl?" The elders looked up as she pointed, their gazes all fell upon Victoria. Her eyes widened and as she heard her older sister shout out at her.

"Hey, here's a gift!" She looked up as Veronica tossed a gift towards her. It passed through Michael's chest and landed in her lap. Michael gasped and turned his eyes to Denise.

"You know something…that never gets any easier to deal with." She placed a finger to her lips as the man standing next to Victor just shook his head. Like them, he was wondering why everybody was going nuts.

"Hold on!" Victoria lifted a hand and every living member of the house turned to her. "First gift of the year should go to Rachel!" Everybody murmured their agreements and found a small stuffed, gingham dog. This was her gift. Vixen grinned and grabbed it, wanting to be the one to hand it to the baby.

"I got it!" She moved to Rachel who eyed her with wide eyes. Jonah and Valerie smiled as she set the dog next to the baby and in Valerie's lap. "This is for you Rachel, from all of your Aunts and your grandparents." Valentine sighed and looked to the grey haired woman.

"Vala, why am I dead again? I can't enjoy seeing my great grandchild in person?" Vala closed her eyes and walked past him. Each spirit had an identifying light, an 'aura' so to speak, that glowed out from their body. If they were from Heaven, they had a white light. If they were from Hell, they had a red light. Not every spirit from hell was evil, they had their reasons and it was never appropriate to judge them. Now truly evil spirits would have a deeper, more crimson colored light. However, each spirit would speak only the truth, whether from Hell or Heaven. Chances were, they could feel remorse, if they were from Hell. Most did, because by the time they came around, they were feeling the repercussions of their ways on Earth. Valentine had a light red, almost pink, aura around his body, Vala had a white one.

"Because you were part of the Italian mafia and they killed you back in '72."

"Yeah, but I was _leaving_ them!" He had wanted to be a family man, that was when his son was seventeen and just graduating high school. He wanted to see his son off to college, but he never even got to see his son get married. Spirits from Hell were allowed to roam on Earth much less than spirits from Heaven, so it had been a while before he got to see his family.

"And that's why you died, they viewed you a traitor." Victoria raised her eyebrow and stared at the man curiously.

"Valentine was part of the mafia?" Her eyes widened when she realized she'd said that out loud. She quickly covered her mouth as all eyes in the room fell on her. Michael's lips formed a circle as Valentine's eyebrows rose. She swallowed and looked at her father, who was now watching her closely. _"Oh…shit…"_

"Victoria, how do you know that about my father?" Now even the elderly man who was with Verna had stopped trying to gain her attention, and was watching the display. Vala tapped Victoria's hand and shook her finger at her.

"Watch your language, young lady!"

_"Yeah, yeah, grandma…"_

"Excuse me?"

"Sorry." Victoria slowly stood up and sighed, she was going to skip the discussion. She'd only told her best friend and Veronica about the spirits, nobody else. Now, her entire family was going to look at her like crazy. "Dad, I know about grandpa because…well…" Everyone watched closely as she moved beside Valentine and lifted her hand. He raised his eyebrows nervously.

"What are you doing?" She closed her eyes and sighed.

"Shut it, Gramps." Usually she wasn't rude like this, but now was a really troublesome time. She placed her hand upon Valentine's hand, which began to glow. It was something that had developed over time, the one link that could make the spirits or ghosts appear to the real world. Everyone gasped as he became less transparent, more whole, and visible to the human eye.

"Whoa…" Victor's jaw dropped and Viola covered her mouth, stifling a gasp. Valerie, Jonah, Vanessa, Veronica, and Vixen were all stunned. Victoria sighed and rolled her eyes as Victor jumped from his seat and took a few steps, eyeing his father up and down. How the hell was this possible?

"Dad?" Victoria waved her hand in a circle and groaned with boredom.

"Yeah, yeah, it's grandpa. Just like that old man trying to get grandma's attention over there…" Verna's eyes widened and started darting around the room while Vernon turned to her. He was starting to feel a little jealous now, _he_ couldn't be seen. "There's a few…" All eyes turned upon her in shock, except for her dad, who was still in awe of what he was seeing. "Ever since that fall I had when I was like…ten…I've been able to see spirits and ghosts. It's annoying as shit, though…" Vala narrowed her eyes and took Victoria's other hand, shocking the girl as she appeared quickly. "Ah!"

"I said watch your language, young lady!"

"Yes grandma. I'm sorry…" Victor gasped as his eyes fell upon his mother. She was just as he remembered. This was quite the Christmas gift, he always wondered about the afterlife. "I won't curse again. Now one at a time, please! I don't know how many I can handle!" Valentine chuckled and shook his head, they both knew she could handle two at a time, but she just didn't want Vala hanging onto her.

"Let me talk to my son." She nodded as Vala let out a disappointed sigh and released Victoria's hand. She was surprised to see that she was still visible, there was a time limit after Victoria released the spirit before they vanished again. Victor slowly approached his father and moved his hand up, hoping to touch him. Victoria had seen this before, when she did this for her best friend's great, great grandmother that just wanted to see her, and it never worked.

"Don't bother, Dad. Your hand is just going to go right through him. He may look solid, but he's as thin as air." Hearing her words, his hand stopped halfway and he lowered it. Valentine sighed and shook his head, how he wished he could hug his son one last time. "Usually if they try to touch you, you'll feel it."

"I see." Victor crossed his arms and frowned at his father. "So dad, it's been what…forty years now? Pretty long time for a trip to the local shop…in which a gunfight happened…" Valentine winced and closed his eyes, that was when he died and his family found out about his involvement in the mafia.

"Yeah, you found out about that, huh?"

"We had to be relocated because of possible threats against the mafia. I had to graduate a _year__late_, because of you."

"I know, and I'm sorry."

"What were you doing there, Dad?" Valentine looked to Victoria, wondering how long he had before he vanished, if she released her grasp.

"How long will I have?" Understanding her question, she released his hand.

"About three hours from the time I let go."

"No longer, huh?" At least she could always touch the spirits and replenish their time limit. He wanted to spend the day with his family, despite the fact that he could touch nothing. "Are you certain I can't touch anything? I mean…you know…I wouldn't mind actually _feeling_ things."

"That takes a lot of my energy, grandpa. I can do it, but I have to give a part of myself to you." She'd found some medium, a 'ghost whisperer' somewhere, long ago, who had taught her a bit. It was then that she learned that she could say certain words and allow the spirits to actually feel things again. During the course of one day, she could do it for maybe four spirits, and then she was too physically and mentally exhausted. She never went up to four, only three. If she continued to touch them in some way before their three hour time limit was over, thus replenishing their limit, they could continue to feel things until they went invisible again. Even still, there were certain things they couldn't do. Victor looked to his daughter and smirked, wanting to say something of a tease about her being a ghost whisperer of some sort, but he was still in too much shock.

"Son, I just want to say how proud I am of you. Vala and I both are very proud of you." Valentine stepped forward and frowned, he so desperately wanted to at least place his hand upon his son's shoulder, but he couldn't do such a thing. "You've created such a great life for yourself, you've got a beautiful family…there's so much I could say, so much I would want to do." Victor pressed his lips firmly together and stared at the different auras of his parents, understanding what they meant.

"So, I guess you didn't make it to heaven, huh pops?"

"My soul was good, but I was not saved. There's different levels of hell..almost like a prison, there's your lower ones, then there's the super maximum security prisons. I wanted to come back, I was going to leave the mafia…then they caught wind of it, ambushed me at the store, and that was it…I never even got to see you grow up." The sadness in him was overwhelming, but he couldn't cry. He was weeping inside, but the tears would not manifest.

"Yeah, you missed a lot, dad." The pain of never being able to say goodbye to his father stuck with him for forty years. Tears stung his eyes as everybody watched closely. Victoria lifted her hand and stared at it, it still had that slight glow. If she wanted to, she had the power to take away his visibility at any time. "I never blamed you, pops. I just don't understand…why I never knew about your life. When you died, mom just stopped talking about you. All she ever said was you were a part of the mafia, that was it." Vala frowned as the guilt stung her. Groaning, she stepped forward, she needed to take responsibility for her actions.

"It was my own convictions, I'm sorry Victor dear. I never wanted you to think ill of your father. Even I tried not to think ill of him, but I was so confused, so frightened. I thought…if I never said anything, then maybe you wouldn't worry. I was wrong to assume such a thing." Victoria glanced at the watch on her wrist and looked around at the other spirits who were watching, she was very strict with who she allowed to 'feel' again, there had to be a very good reason for it.

"Well you got two hours and forty five minutes to talk over forty years. Who's next?" Victor blinked and glanced at his daughter carefully.

"There are…others here?" She looked outside the window behind them and frowned as she spotted spirits of all kinds wandering around the street. Christmas was the biggest rush, usually.

"Oh yeah." She walked over to Vernon and placed her hand upon his shoulder, her expression locked in boredom. Verna gasped when she saw him, her eyes instantly watering. "Here's Grandpa…" Viola's eyes widened and she wheeled over.

"Dad?" Vernon looked to her and smiled sadly.

"Hello Viola, I'm sorry I never got to see you come home from the war." She peered down and gripped her armrests tightly, she truly hated being unable to walk. "It's been a long time, hasn't it?"

"Well, sort of. You died in '09, not any time before that."

"But it feels like longer." He had disapproved of his daughter going to war, initially, but she disobeyed that. It was because of that, that they had gone their separate ways. She'd not spoken to him since before joining the military, and over the years, he'd become prouder of her, but grown more sickly. "The one thing I wanted to do before I died…Was tell you how immensely proud I was of you."

"Proud?" Her body shook slightly as she lifted her eyebrows and stared down at her knees. "Proud? Hell, you were _right,_ I went in there and got my legs basically blown off. I figure you would have come on with all the 'I told you so' and whatnot." He shook his head, his wrinkles creasing with his brow.

"No, no I couldn't. I was proud of you, but by the time I'd found out what happened…I was already put in the nursing home." Michael leaned towards Denise and whispered.

"Do you get the feeling I'm the only dad here that hasn't screwed up with his child?" Denise smirked slightly and closed her eyes, whispering to him.

"Says the man who allowed his son to become so distant from him and never wanted to tell him about the heart problems until it was too late…"

"Okay, but that can't be so bad as other things…" Victoria's head jerked over to them and they quickly silenced, realizing they were being heard. She smirked a bit and started to walk over.

"I'll let you three work out your family issues, there are two other ghosts that need to show up." Now these two, she was willing to use her 'gift' to let them feel around. It was necessary. She lifted her hands and Jonah's eyes widened as he saw his parents slowly begin to appear. Valerie gasped as he froze in shock. All the sisters were too baffled, too confused, and too shocked to really react. They didn't want to bother anyone, so they just watched and waited. Jonah slowly rose as his parents smiled at him.

"Mom? Dad? You're…you're really here?" Michael pushed his left hand into the pocket on his jacket and smirked slightly.

"Yeah, you know how Christmas is. Time to be with the family…where is your brother?"

"Oh, he and Mason decided to take a trip with Marissa to where their dad's being held at."

"That has to be hard on them. I'd tell you to give them my condolences, but they'd think you were crazy." Jonah chuckled nervously and closed his eyes.

"Actually, I think I _am_ going a bit crazy." He turned his gaze towards his mother and smiled slightly. She was just as he remembered her, before the cancer took her looks and her life. "Mom, you're…so beautiful." Denise smiled and moved towards him, slowly lifting her hand up and caressing his cheek. She gasped when she felt the nerves in her hand surge with contact. She looked over at Victoria in surprise. The girl smiled and nodded at the two.

"You can feel, I've given you that capability." Sweat had formed at her forehead and the back of her neck. Doing this for one ghost was no problem at all, a cinch, but doing it for two added a little stress. Three would be hard, but four really pushed the limits on her. She rarely ever did four at a time.

"I see. Thank you…" Jonah smiled as Denise looked to him, tears in her eyes. "You've really grown." Her eyes drifted over to Valerie, she was smiling at her, but was a bit uncertain and nervous. "You've found a great woman, Jonah, and a great family. I couldn't be happier for you."

"Thank you, mom. I…I miss you, and I miss dad too."

"We know." She wrapped her arms around her son in a hug and his eyes widened. The sudden warmth he felt, he hadn't felt in such a long time. Tears came to his eyes and he hugged his mother back. Michael was already holding his granddaughter, but still feeling sad that he would still not show up in a picture. He was thrilled to be able to see his grandchild. Vernon and Valentine were a bit envious that the parents were allowed to feel, but they understood the reasons and held no resentment for it.

Victoria crossed her arms and looked to the window, seeing ghosts knocking on it. She sighed and closed her eyes. This was going to be one hell of a Christmas.

* * *

And thus we enter the arc of the fathers. Prepare, we'll be seeing a few other fathers than the ones we've seen regularly, and a lot of 'dead' people. It will span for about a 5 chapter arc. Many, many things will be explained, many emotions and tears felt as the "daddy drama" comes to a close in one of the final, major arcs of this story.


	71. Ghostly Fathers: Secrets to Tell

Boarded

Disclaimer: I do not own iCarly!

A/N:

* * *

Chapter 71 (Ghostly Fathers: Secrets to Tell)

"You want me to do this why?" Victoria asked as she leaned against the closed door of her house. The spirits of Tyler and Henry stood before her, but were away from each other. They looked at her, an eagerness and urgency in their eyes. Along with them, was a stranger ghost, one who she didn't recognize. He was much older, and had a very guilty expression on his face. He, as well, wanted to speak with his descendants. "So, I got these two, but who are you?"

"My name is Brian Davidson. I was born in 1913 and I died in 1992." Victoria tapped her chin lightly and shrugged, perhaps this was just a random ghost. Though, the name Davidson, did sound familiar, but she couldn't place a finger on it. "I fathered Arian Davidson…" She blinked and shook her head, moaning in confusion. This ghost also had a rose colored aura on him, meaning he didn't make it to heaven.

"Still not ringing any bells." Tyler and Hector looked at him with arched eyebrows, they had an idea who he was. They frowned and closed their eyes, this man had done something incredibly wrong and never came forward about it.

"None of my children know…my wife also never knew." Victoria was still a bit clueless, but she was getting an idea. Tyler and Hector both stepped away from this man, their greatest vices had been murder and abuse, but never this. "I had an affair with Jennifer Harper-White, and she had a daughter. Her husband learned of the affair and was willing to raise the child as his own." Tyler turned to Brian and rubbed his chin.

"So you cheated on your wife? What are you, insane?" Brian narrowed his eyes and stared at the man. "I mean I know _I_ was insane, but Jesus…at least I never cheated on my wife." Hector firmly agreed and Victoria rolled her eyes. She rubbed her head and peered into the window, then her eyes widened while Brian continued arguing with the two men.

"Well it doesn't help that the man she was with was fourteen years older than she was and couldn't have kids!"

"It doesn't matter! There's _still_ no justification for that! I mean…I know I did some pretty miserable things, but it takes a shithead to mess around with another man's wife! Did the kid even know about this?" Brian took a deep breath and slowly shook his head. It had been kept a secret, a very dark secret. Victoria did recognize the name. Jennifer White was the name of Jonah's great grandmother. His grandma, who died in 2005, was Candice White. Arian Davidson was Freddie's grandfather.

"Oh my god!" Her hands moved to her mouth as she eyed Jonah carefully. The men looked to her, each concerned. She stared over at the three men, a bit dazed by this. "But Ms. Benson and Mr. Brown were going to…ugh…" She was beginning to feel a bit sick. "Ms. Benson and her family are coming back today, I guess you want to tell her how she almost married her _cousin?"_ Brian chuckled nervously as Tyler and Hector crossed their arms. Pity he could never take responsibility for his own actions. Sure, they weren't much better in that department, and they knew it. "My god, as fathers, you _all_ suck! Go away, I don't have time to bother with you."

"But I have to talk to my son!" Tyler cried out and Victoria glared vehemently at him. Why should she let him talk to Jeremy?

"Your 'son' is moving on with his life."

"This is important though."

"I'm certain it's not something he needs to worry about." Victoria place her hand on the doorknob and Tyler gave an exasperated sigh. He wasn't giving up, though.

"He has _family_." Stopping, she stared at the door a minute and began to laugh.

"Yeah and he's with them."

"Not them…other family…" Hector and Brian raised their eyebrows as Victoria turned to stare at him. Now what else could he have done? Had he fathered another child? Did she care? No, probably not. "Look, I only want to explain this to him, but he has an uncle who is still alive and doesn't even know about it. His uncle doesn't even know he's alive. I…never bothered to look, I thought the man was dead. Turns out, when he was young, our birth father had given him to his parents. When I was born, the woman wasn't letting it happen a second time, and moved us far away. Then when I was three, the woman shot dad and killed herself. Then I was adopted by Jack and Emma Elliot…" Victoria twitched slightly and stared at Tyler cautiously. Spirits didn't lie, so it was no trick. Jeremy had an uncle still alive somewhere. "Henry. Henry Lance…hell, our grandmother's still alive! Granted, she'll be 100 in a few months and probably won't live much longer…"

"Okay, step back, one step at a time." Victoria pointed her fingers to the three fathers and stared at Brian. "You had an affair with your wife, who fathered Ms. Benson's dad, and the woman you had an affair with became Mr. Brown's mother." Brian nodded carefully and Victoria rubbed her head. This made Arian Davidson and Candice White half siblings, so that indeed made Marissa and Michael cousins. "You're wanting to come clean about this to your children?"

"That is correct. While Arian's still alive, Candice isn't. Neither are their mothers. Marissa's still alive, and I've already talked to Michael, but I may have to talk to Jonah."

"I may have to make you be able to 'feel' so when Jonah decides to pummel you, he can." Brian chuckled nervously as Victoria moved her hand to Tyler. "You want to tell your son that he's got an uncle and a great grandmother alive somewhere…" Tyler nodded and closed his hands up, pressing his lips tightly together. She recognized the name Henry Lance as the name of a famous baseball player for the Texas Rangers. His son would probably end up becoming a ball player too, one day.

"Cousin too."

"And a cousin."

"He's actually met the cousin, believe it or not." Jeremy did at least have questions for Tyler, perhaps it would be a good way to talk to him. Sam and Melanie had questions for their father, so maybe she _could_ give them that opportunity. She sighed and looked to Hector.

"Now what about you, no secrets or surprises, I hope?" Hector chuckled nervously and Victoria smacked her forehead. What could there honestly be _now_? She folded her arms over, her annoyance increasing as Hector started his talking.

"Well one thing that my daughters and wife know is that my parents are still alive and that I had a sister."

"Uh huh…" His sister died in '98, along with her husband.

"We were failed to be notified of our sister's death, and the child services instantly put her daughter into foster homes." Victoria frowned as Hector clenched his hands tightly. He was still angry about that, angry that he'd not been able to do something for his niece. "The other thing, Pam knows, but we never told my daughters this…"

"What?" He swallowed hard and closed his eyes, he couldn't really hide the shame.

"When I was nineteen, long before I ever met Pam, fathered a son with my girlfriend at the time." Victoria slowly nodded as Tyler and Brian moved their eyes over to him. Currently, Tyler was the one that didn't feel ashamed, his children were his own and he never kept secrets like that from them. "His name, Duke Puckett, he was born in 1978."

"Okay, so what's the problem?"

"His mother's family hated me, they took him from me and moved far away. He found me after some time through some social network and told me of his life." Hector slowly breathed in and shook his head. His son had made a lot of the same mistakes he had. "When he was sixteen, he started getting serious with his high school math teacher…"

"What?"

"I know, that's what I said…" The other men stared, mouths agape. How on earth could something like that be allowed. At that time, it was probably frowned upon, but quickly became something of an issue. "They had a daughter together."

"Of…course…they did…"

"Parents tried to run him out of town, the mother put the daughter into foster care."

"So what do you want me to do, Mr. Puckett? Because all of these things you three want…yeah, they're one of those major life changing type things that sort of, well, you know…take some getting used to." Tyler closed his eyes, his aura was oddly not befitting him. It was white. He didn't reside in hell, but it was because he, at some point of time in his life accepted Jesus Christ as his savior. Perhaps when he was a family man. However, there was bits of red in him, meaning he must not be in the better side of heaven, rather, where the criminals who were saved went to.

"As Jeremy's father, I know he hates me…but it's the least I can do, to inform him…of his family." He had to bring this to the surface, he had to tell Jeremy. Sure, he'd done some pretty bad things, and he was paying for it every step of the way in Hell, for all eternity, but he could no longer shirk the fact that he _was_ Jeremy's father and he felt like he owed this to his son. "I owe him this. In order to be completely happy, he deserves to know about the better side of his family. He may also find some things out about them and about himself that he could never imagine. For instance, he really took after his uncle more than anything."

"Well, there's a positive for you." She drifted her eyes over and saw Marissa's car driving up, they were back from Vegas already. She couldn't help but to wonder how things had gone with Kenneth. As the three got out of the car, Kenneth Ward appeared next to the three men, spooking them all. Victoria looked over and yelped, seeing the blood dripping from a gunshot wound to the side of his head and residue all over. "The hell?" The other three fathers stared at him quietly, stunned that he'd killed himself. He closed his eyes and sighed.

"I didn't know they were coming to see me," he whispered. "I..I couldn't stand what I had done, and I was happy Mason finally found his mom, but…I knew my life was over." He'd shot himself a few days ago while Marissa and her sons were on the plane. They were grieved, but pissed at the same time. "I didn't know they were coming, honest! I…I thought I wouldn't ever see any of them again, so I grabbed the guard's gun while he was asleep and…yeah." Tyler narrowed his eyes and Hector moaned.

"You really _are_ a fucking coward." Victoria rolled her head back and groaned, she didn't want _another_ father here. Why did she have to play messenger, really? Why did they come to her? "You can't bother divorcing your wife, can't bother trying to get custody, can't bother being honest to your son, can't bother dealing with your problem, and now you blow your brains out and refuse to speak to them!"

"Look, I'm no coward."

"No? That's pretty fucked up cowardice in my eyes, if you ask me!" Hector and Brian took a step back as Victoria slowly looked to Tyler and Kenneth. Sweat started to form at her forehead as she tapped her fingers quietly on her pant leg.

"The woman had some issues..."

"I don't think that really gives you the _right _to do what you did!" The men were now facing each other, ignoring the sounds of Marissa and the two boys turning off the car engine and closing the doors.

"You're one to talk! You're a fucking murderer who tried to kill his son!"

"Don't you talk about my son."

"I will!"

"You fucking asshole!"

"You're the asshole!"

"At least I'm willing to _admit to it!_" Tyler swung a fist around and it connected to Kenneth's jaw. Victoria raised her eyebrow in surprise and tilted her head. She'd never seen something like this before, a fight between two ghosts. Tyler's rage was clear, more visible than it had ever been when he was alive, but there was good reason for that. Ghosts, spirits, being one's soul, made things more prominent because it was from the soul that humans felt things. Kenneth placed his hand to his jaw and staggered back, he'd not expected that to _hurt_."

"How in the hell?"

"Ghosts can feel things only from other ghosts. Too bad a ghost can't die, otherwise I'd kill you!" Kenneth shouted and ducked to avoid Tyler's leg coming clear for his own. Suddenly, several of the ghosts ran out of the house, hearing the commotion.

"What the hell is this?" Valentine asked as he stepped next to Victoria. Victoria shrugged and watched the fight with amusement. Michael and Denise made their way out, followed by the humans still alive. They couldn't see anything, sadly. Victor moved close to Victoria and whispered.

"What are we missing?"

"Well…" Victoria chuckled and pointed. "Jeremy's dad's here."

"What?" She nodded as Jonah and Valerie looked warily at each other. Valerie cradled Rachel closer to her chest, holding her protectively in case there was any danger to her.

"Yeah, and evidently Freddie's father killed himself. So…Tyler got pissed, called him a coward, and now they're fighting." Jonah's jaw fell and he looked over to see Freddie walking towards them with Marissa and Mason. They looked like they had gone through hell.

Kenneth rolled behind Tyler and kicked him in the lower back. Tyler clenched his teeth together and slammed his elbow behind him, smashing it into Kenneth's face. Hector and Brian moved to the other side of the ghosts, not wanting to be caught up in the fight. Marissa pointed at the ghosts who were still visible and raised an eyebrow.

"Who are they?" Victoria glanced over and chuckled sinisterly, Kenneth would be facing them whether he wanted to or not.

"Long story, but firsts things first…" Her hand started to glow and she began walking towards Ken. He peered over at her and gasped, his eyes widening considerably. Tyler grinned and grabbed him, holding him in place, both knew what Victoria was about to do. "Ms. Benson, Freddie, Mason…" She closed her eyes and sighed. _"I'm too damn young to have to deal with all this crap."_ She lifted her hand while Ken struggled in Tyler's grasp, trying to break free. He'd be the first father, closure _would _be reached with him. "Deal with him, father number one."

"No! Don't do this! I'm not ready! Not yet! No!" He screamed as she grabbed onto his wrist. The trio stared with wide eyes as Kenneth started to appear to them. They were frozen in shock. Had they not _just_ got back from attending his funeral?

"Just be lucky I'm not using the 'feel' gift on you, it would be a waste." She looked to Tyler and tilted her head to the side. "By the way, Mr. Elliot. A ghost can dissipate another ghost. Where they go after that, I don't know. I think it's a dark and scary place. Is there a place worse than hell? Oh whatever, let's make this fast." She turned to Ken who was staring wild eyed at the family he'd abandoned. "My sister's got some place to be…" Their great grandmother, Rachel's great, great grandmother, Becky, was still living. She had been born in 1914, and was currently residing in a Seattle nursing home. Her daughter, Verna, was unable to take care of her, rising in age herself. Jonah also had a great grandmother, born in 1913, who was still alive and at the same nursing home. Both of these women had still sharp minds, and both wanted to see her great, great grandchild and rest in peace. "And they can't go until we deal with Brian." Michael spotted Brian and frowned as Denise placed her hand inside his arm and looked at him.

"It'll be okay, Michael."

"No it won't…how will Jonah and Freddie take this?" The fact that they were amongst the visible ghosts meant that Freddie and the others could see them too, it was far too overwhelming. Victoria sighed and stepped in the center, hoping to speak before all chaos ensued.

"Okay, Ms. Benson, Freddie, Mason, allow me to talk…" The three looked at her with still frozen, wide eyes. "I had an accident a long time ago, so I can see ghosts, I can talk to ghosts, I can make them visible, and so forth. A couple are here today, as you can see all around you, we have…Valentine Williams and his wife Vala." The two waved while the three looked wearily at them. "We've got Vernon Williams, talking to his wife Verna about some medical condition that she didn't know she has." Verna nodded and looked to her deceased husband, she didn't feel too odd about it. He told her that she needed to see the doctor about some tumor growing inside of her. "Then there's Mr. and Mrs. Brown, here to see their grandbaby." Marissa looked at Michael and Denise, smiled at them and nodded.

"Well, that explains what you guys are doing here. It's nice to meet you, Denise." Denise smiled at her and waved.

"Good to meet you too, Marissa!" Victoria looked to the left at them, raising her eyebrow, then turned her head back.

"Yeah, we'll get to them in a bit. Just, someone ought to call up your dad, Ms. Benson, and have him come here." Marissa shrugged as she turned her head and slowly exhaled. She hadn't talked to her dad in a while, and at eighty years old, she had to wonder if he was still as hard of a man as he was years ago. She looked to Ken and narrowed her glare onto him, he winced and looked to Victoria as she moved over to a stone bench on the front patio and crossed her legs over. "Let it begin!" Ken moaned and closed his eyes.

"Shit."

* * *

And here we go, each chapter should focus on a specific father from this point. I believe the end of this arc takes place on either chapters 76 or 77, and then we start moving on.


	72. Ghostly Fathers: Ken

Boarded

Disclaimer: I do not own iCarly!

A/N: Let's kick Ken's chapter out of the way. I think you'll be surprised or not surprised to see Tyler and Hector's chapters are the longest XD They have the most anticipated ones too.

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Chapter 72 (Ghostly Fathers: Ken)

Verna and Vernon went back inside, the elder woman wanted to sit down. Valentine motioned the other ghosts onto the patio, where everyone stood. Vanessa, Veronica, and Vixen all went back inside the house with their mother. Vala gripped Valentine's hand and looked to Victoria, they'd already talked with Victor and knew their three hours was up. They'd been extremely happy to see Victor and to see Rachel, but now it was time to get back to the afterlife. They gave Victoria a final hug and vanished away. Victor had a new outlook about his father and felt proud of his dad now. He knelt next to Victoria and smiled at her. "Thank you, Victoria."

"No problem, Dad. I guess all the stuff with everyone's dads might end here, I don't know…" She looked behind her and sighed at Tyler, Hector, and Brian. This was going to be hell for her. Currently, the only ones now in the yard was Ken and the Bensons. Kenneth was looking a bit roughed up, besides the hole in his head. "Tyler, next time you decide to get into a fight with another ghost that I have to make visible…please don't." Tyler shrugged and crossed his arms, even he still had his pride where certain areas were concerned. They turned their attention on Marissa, who was boiling. Her fists clenched angrily and her chest heaving. Kenneth had no choice but to face her now. Mason and Freddie glared at him, all possible respect they ever had in him was gone, erased. Marissa lifted her hand to smack him, but was shocked to see her hand sail right through his body. "I would have made him given him the gift of feeling, but I don't want to waste my energy on him."

"How could you do it to me, Kenneth? How could you do it to your boys? How could you do it to _us_?" Tears were in her eyes as she took an angry step forward. She didn't care that she couldn't hit him, she didn't care if he couldn't feel her, she still wanted to tear him apart. "All these years, I thought you were _dead_, and…well…" She moved her eyes up and down his body, scowling at him. "I guess you are _now_?" He winced and looked at Victoria, pleadingly. She smiled at him and waved, then looked back at the three fathers.

"You know, if only you guys could pick things up right now, I'd ask one of you to get me a glass of punch or something." The three rolled their eyes as Kenneth turned back to Marissa. What was he supposed to say to her? What was he supposed to say to his sons? Tyler and Hector had been right, he was a coward. Where they were concerned, he was more cowardly than they had ever been. He couldn't have just faced her, gone through the divorce and sought for custody. He might have won, with how much she drank. Mason and Freddie stepped on either side of their mother and Ken felt a pang of sadness.

"Nothing I say will ever make this right. I don't know what I was thinking, putting you through all that. I just thought…" Marissa closed her eyes and slowly breathed out.

"Say it. Go on."

"Say what?"

"You didn't want to be with me because of all my drinking." Kenneth frowned as she slowly opened his eyes. He felt like he'd just been punched in the gut. "I was 'crazy' and too mental. Go on and say it."

"Marissa, I…" He rubbed the back of his neck and looked to his sons, they both closed their eyes and turned away.

"I _stopped_ my drinking when I was with you! You were helping me _quit_." Her words cut him like a knife. He knew he'd done wrong, he knew he should never have left her. "The reason we were coming to see you? Because the doctors said I had Cirrhosis of the liver." He gasped and his eyes widened as she began to tremble. Tears dripped down her cheeks as she stared towards the ground. "I'm dying, and granted, it is my fault…but you know what? It's party yours too!" Her voice echoed in the air. Ken felt the wind being knocked from him. "When you left me, I picked up that bottle again, and I drank harder than I _ever_ drank in my life. I stopped after about a year, focused only on Freddie, and then I realized you were still alive!"

"Ma-"

"Don't you talk to me!" She pushed his shoulders, and sobbed frantically when she went right through him again. "I started drinking whenever I could, never quitting. A bottle of Gin, vodka, whatever strong liquor I could find, every fucking night! Day in, day out, I woke up to a bottle and fell asleep to a bottle, all because of _you!_ Do you even know _why_ I had a fucking depression and alcohol problem in the first place?" Victoria gave him the gift just as Marissa began poking him. Marissa felt a sense of satisfaction, but continued to hit him. "Because of men like _you_. No, because of _all_ men! Men are nothing but shit! There may be a few good ones out there, but for the most part, they're assholes."

"You can't be serious." Marissa smacked him in the face and he shouted out in pain. That actually hurt. Her chest lifted up and she slowly exhaled, trying to calm down.

"I was raped at my high school prom, Ken." His eyes widened and her sons looked at her with bewilderment. She placed her hand to her chest as the tears continued down her face. "My dad, what did he do? Nothing! I haven't talked to him in years.." She scoffed and shook her head. "My mother had a mental problem, she could _never_ see that it wasn't my fault. I never asked for it, I never _wanted_ it! She kept on and on while Dad just sat there, saying _nothing!_ He didn't say a goddamn word to defend his daughter, who was crying on the couch while her mother was carrying on about sex and how if I was pregnant, she would disown me!"

"I never knew…"

"No! Of course you didn't! I never fucking _told_ you, asshole." Marissa started pounding his chest with closed fists and began sobbing. He swallowed hard, feeling guiltier than he'd ever felt in his life. He wanted to find the man that hurt her and he wanted to kill him. If only he wasn't fucking dead now. Then again, he could feel now, he could pick things up. "Of course I was clingy to you, I thought you'd never hurt me! I thought you'd never leave me. I…I _trusted _you!" He wrapped his arms around her waist and felt her trembling body.

"It's okay Marissa…I…" What could he say? What could he do?

"Just hold me…like you used to…" She still had feelings for him, she didn't know what absurd god above would make her still _love _him, but she did. He closed his eyes and nodded.

"I'm here now." Freddie rubbed his mom's back and looked at Ken with angry eyes.

"I don't know who you were, I never did. I wish I could have known you, but you abandoned us. So…I never had a father." Mason nodded in agreement, still feeling betrayed by his dad. "But right now, as it stands, I never want to know who you were or who you are. In about a year, it's going to be just Mason and myself, that's what the doctor says." Kenneth frowned and looked at Marissa, how could this happen? She didn't deserve that. She didn't deserve anything that had happened to her. She didn't deserve his abandonment, either.

Victoria had it right, earlier. Every spirit knew this fact: there was a place worse than hell. There were certain laws that were forbidden in both Heaven and Hell. A spirit, a ghost, could be sent into this place by another ghost by 'killing' that one. Had she not basically stopped the fight, Tyler could have sent him there. If you killed a human, you would go there. It was just one of the many laws. Another forbade them from healing someone, changing someone's time of death. If they did that, then they were also sent to this place. This place was a dark place, a place of eternal blackness. Your soul wandered where there was no light, for all eternity. You were alone, no one else to interact with. No sounds, no feeling. It was a horrible place to go to. Victoria knew about this place, but she didn't like to think of it.

Kenneth's face darkened as he tightened his embrace on Marissa. His sons may hate him, they may not. Marissa may hate him, he deserved it. This would likely be his last time with them. "Who was it, Marissa?" She sniffed and looked up with confusion.

"Who was who?"

"The thing…that…" She shook her head and closed her eyes.

"He's the fucking mayor of Vegas now." His eyes widened, then narrowed. He'd _worked_ with that filth before! The mayor was almost always in contact with the LV police.

"I see." She wiped her eyes and looked into his, unsure of what he was going to do. What could he do? "Marissa, Mason, Freddie…words can't forgive what I did to you." The three watched as he gently caressed Marissa's face. His eyes softened and Marissa gasped at his touch. "It is amazing, this gift. There is so much we're allowed to do, but only for three hours at a time. There's also a lot we _can't_ do, so it differs from being human." He walked over to Mason and placed his hand on his shoulder. "I'm sorry I lied to you, there is nothing that justifies that. Nothing justifies what I have done. I'm proud of who you've become, I'm proud that you finally found your mother and your brother. You deserve them." Mason slowly smiled, but felt something in the pit of his stomach. What was his father plotting? He knew that look in his dad's eyes well.

Kenneth moved to Freddie and hugged him. Freddie gasped in surprise and lifted his eyebrows up. "From your cold-hearted father, to you." He smirked and Freddie chuckled lightly. Victoria tightened her grip on the edge of the bench, she was putting two and two together. An empty feeling hit her chest and she looked at the three fathers, who'd already became aware of Ken's plan. "You've become a _fantastic_ man over the years." He pressed his lips together and tears started to drip from his eyes. "I wish I could have been there through the years."

"D-Dad…" His voice shook as Kenneth slowly stepped back, a sickening feeling churned inside of him for what he was about to do.

"I love you, all of you." He slowly turned his eyes to Marissa, who smiled at him. He really didn't deserve her, and never should have left her. He should have stayed with her, loved her, taken care of her. "The last thing I will do, will be for you. All for you." He kissed her softly and she gasped as he disappeared. Victoria shouted and quickly jumped up.

"Somebody stop him!" Brian frowned as he watched Marissa tentatively touch her lips. Feeling his kiss, feeling that spark, seeing him one last time, she wanted to be with him. Maybe being with him in the afterlife, who knows. She looked at Victoria and raised her eyebrow.

"What do you mean, Victoria? What's he about to do?" Victoria breathed in and closed her hands. She didn't want to tell her that he was about to go after the mayor. No, that would be the worst thing to tell a victim, that someone was willing to do something so dangerous and terrible that they could get into serious trouble, all for them. However she could tell her that what he was about to do could cause her to never see him, even in the afterlife. Brian growled and narrowed his eyes.

"I got this." Victoria looked over as he disappeared. Now what could _he _do?

Kenneth appeared in Mayor Neal Rodgers office, he was still visible. Neal looked up and his eyes widened when he saw Kenneth. The expression on his face was volatile. Neal paled and jumped back in his chair as all the lights began flashing on and off. "What's wrong, Mayor? You look like you've seen a _ghost_."

"What…What are you doing _alive_? Didn't you just shoot yourself a few days ago?"

"Oh yes, I'm dead now. I believe this is proof of that." He pointed to the hole in his head, which was actually slowly fading away. "Oh and this too." Neal gasped as a rush of air blew through the papers on his desk and sent them all over the room. Kenneth placed his hand on the name identifier resting on the desk and growled. "What's this…_Mayor_? You don't deserve that fucking title!" He lifted the object and threw it at Neal's head. Neal shouted and dodged it, throwing himself to the ground as the heavy object smashed through his office window. Whimpering, his body trembled. How could he kill a ghost?

"Why are you doing this?"

"Maybe you don't remember…Marissa Davidson." His eyes widened and he gasped. That girl? He hadn't seen her since high school prom! Brian appeared behind Kenneth and shouted as he ducked a flying object. Currently, this place looked like it was undergoing one of the worst poltergeist activities ever. Papers, heavy objects, even bits of wall and glass were floating throughout the air, spinning around as though there were a tornado. "You _raped_ her."

"Kenneth, stop this now!" Brian shouted as he placed his hand on Ken's shoulder.

"No! He needs to die!"

"Please, you need to stop. I know he's bad, but by killing him...it doesn't make you any better than him! You'll also be sent to that abyss!" Ken continued his glare and Brian sighed deeply. "Listen, Marissa wants to be with you in the afterlife." Ken raised his eyebrow and stared suspiciously at Brian, ignoring the laughter coming from the Mayor, who had just realized who Marissa was.

"What are you talking about."

"This…" He lifted his hand up and Marissa's face appeared in the air and Ken looked at her with tears in his eyes.

"Marissa…"

"Ken? Ken is that you?"

"I'm here…I'm right here."

"What are you doing?"

"I…" He looked away and sighed. He couldn't tell her, he didn't want to burden her like that. "I can't say."

"Victoria says you're about to be sent somewhere _really _bad, and…and I won't even get to see you in the afterlife." Marissa wiped the tears from her eyes and frowned. "You wouldn't do that to me again, would you? I don't know that I even have a year, and when I die…I want you to be there to greet me."

"Marissa, I'm on the hell side…"

"Victoria explained 'auras' to me, and your aura is so damned pink that you're allowed to see me. Please Ken…don't abandon me again…"

"I…" He looked to the Mayor, who was now somewhat sprawled on the ground. The objects that had been flying around had hit him multiple times and he was now bruised and bloody. Ken slowly closed his eyes, feeling his heart jumping. He couldn't abandon her again. He didn't want to hurt her like that. "I will be there waiting for you, Marissa. I promise you…I love you. All these years and I've never stopped loving you." She smiled softly and sniffed.

"I know." Her image vanished and Ken shouted out, not ready for her to disappear like that. Brian sighed as all the objects fell to the ground. It was a close call, indeed. "I won't be able to come back onto earth again, will I…"

"I'm afraid not, not after all this. Just be glad you didn't kill the bastard." Ken slowly nodded as laughter started echoing through the air. Neal had awakened again. Ken turned away and closed his eyes.

"Come on Brian, let's go."

"Yeah, I still have to talk to my granddaughter and children…" Neal slowly stood up and continued laughing, glaring at Ken. Brian rolled his eyes and turned his angry, frustrated glare onto him.

"You know what? I remember Marissa, now! She didn't want to put out, if I recall." Ken flinched and Brian clenched his hands tightly, he didn't take too kindly to this type of talk. "Had to force it, but so fucking what?" Ken lifted his eyes to the ceiling.

"Wow this guy's an asshole. Come on Ken…"

"Yeah. Where am I going though, I need to get back to hell." He started to vanish as Neal continued to scream, further annoying Brian.

"Oh don't go now, Kenneth! You're not done yet! Don't you have to kill me?" Ken looked over to him and shrugged as the Mayor continued to laugh. "You're nothing! Even dead, you're still a pathetic coward!" Ken pressed his lips together and turned his eyes away. Brian felt his rage starting to build. "You know what else? That girl? Yeah, the best fucking piece of ass I've ever had!" Neal laughed and Ken's eyes widened, but it was Brian who'd had enough.

"Shut the fuck up!" Brian roared as energy flooded through the room. Kenneth gasped and shouted at him.

"No! Brian!" It was too late, as Kenneth vanished completely, several glass fragments lifted off the ground. Neal watched the objects with fear as they hovered in the air for a second.

"You will not talk about my granddaughter in such a manner!" The fragments shot into Neal's head. He yelled in pain and staggered back, falling through the window and falling ten stories. His ghost then appeared in the office and Brian roared out again, not finished with him. "Enjoy eternal darkness, bastard!"

"Wait!" Brian tore into him, tearing his spirit in half. Neal screamed out and his spirit particles vanished into the air. Brian panted and breathed heavily, his eyes widening with realization. He frowned and his body relaxed as he moved to the window and peered down at Neal's body.

"Well shit…" He now had five hours before he would be sent into the dark abyss. It didn't matter what kind of person Neal had been in life, the fact that he'd just killed a human meant he was good as gone. Maybe he'd be released in a few centuries, maybe not. It was hard to tell. Sighing with exasperation, he turned around just as the door unlocked and people ran in, concerned with what had taken place. They couldn't see Brian, or anything or anyone who could have caused their mayor's demise. "Pity, the fall from grace. Time is short now. Guess I need to get back to them before I'm gone for good…" He closed his eyes and started to dissipate. "Damn it, Ken. You'd better be thankful, boy…"

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Ooh damn the end of that. Brian is next, but now he doesn't have all day.


	73. Ghostly Fathers: Brian and Arian

Boarded

Disclaimer: I do not own iCarly!

A/N:

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Chapter 73 (Ghostly Fathers: Brian and Arian)

Arian's car stopped next to the curb and he flew out of his car, spry as ever for an eighty year old. He saw Marissa, kneeling on the ground, her two sons holding her as she started to sob. She looked up as Arian stepped in front of her and met her eyes with a soft smile. "Daddy? You're here? I…I didn't remember your number." He helped her to her feet and hugged her close.

"I know. It's not your fault…" Marissa had been out of it for so long, she wasn't even aware that her mother had died in March of 2011, around spring break. Around the time of the rodeo incident. She was 77. "I'm here now, okay?" Marissa wiped her eyes and hugged her father, sobbing onto his shoulder. He closed his eyes and placed his hand on the back of her head and held her close, tears dripping from his eyes as his heart pounded in his chest. "Sweetheart, where have you been all these years…" The reason he was even in Seattle was because when he and Gina heard their daughter moved, they moved to be close to her, even though the woman never wanted to see them. They hadn't seen her since at least 2001, and that was basically in passing, when they moved.

"I don't know, Daddy. I…met a man in Vegas, but that's all past." She sniffed and looked at his car, noticing it was empty. She was certain she would have seen her mom waiting in the car. The woman never wanted to talk to her. "W-Where's mom?" Arian frowned and met her eyes. "Daddy?" She let out a choked sob as he closed his eyes. Mason and Freddie looked to each other, their hearts lurching in their chests. They never knew their grandmother. Marissa's face softened and she closed her eyes. "When?"

"Last year…" He felt his heart sinking as he slowly shook his head. He never divorced his wife, mainly because he felt they'd been married too long. When she died, he honestly felt free. "Spring break…" Marissa gasped and her eyes shot open. Why was that week such a horrible time? Tyler and Hector frowned and shook their heads, not a pleasant memory for anybody. They looked over as Brian appeared, panting heavily. They knew what he had done the instant he did. They even told Victoria, she was thrown into shock.

"I'm sorry, Daddy. I should have…" Arian shushed her calmly and groomed her hair back. He didn't want her to worry herself over her mother's death. It wasn't necessary. They could all mourn if they so wanted to, but they didn't need to. At least he didn't think so. She sniffed and looked at her sons, smiling slightly. "Dad, these are your grandchildren." Arian looked at them and smiled.

"They look like strapping young men." The boys both groaned a bit at the choice of words and Arian laughed as he walked over to them. He was thrilled to actually be able to _see_ his grandchildren. Jonah walked off the patio as Michael followed him. While everything had been going on with Ken, Michael had talked to his son about Brian. Jonah had pulled Freddie aside when Ken left, to tell him, though the timing probably wasn't the best. The boys handled it well, and were pleased to know they were cousins anyway. It secured the fact that they were related, thus defining their brotherhood. Now the only thing that had to happen, was talking to Arian about it. Freddie looked over in time to see Victoria make Brian visible to all. He chuckled nervously and looked to Arian.

"So grandpa, want to see your dad?"

"What?" He raised his eyebrow and looked over as Victoria started making a few other ghosts who'd recently appeared visible. When Brian arrived, his daughter Candy White appeared, having heard from heaven what her birth father had done. Along with her, both Jennifer Harper and Arian's mother, Taylor, arrived. She made them visible too. Arian was aghast, in all his years, he had _never_ seen something like this. "How the hell is this possible?" Brian waved at Arian and smiled sadly. "Dad?" His eyes drifted to Taylor. "Mom?"

"Hey son!" Taylor made her way over to Arian and grinned. Her eyes drifted over to Freddie and she smiled happily. Having died in 2000, the last time she saw her great grandson was, well, never. "So, Marissa's children seem to have grown well." Candy chuckled and looked over to Jonah, who waved awkwardly at her.

"Jonah, how is your grandfather?" Ryan had still not been taken off life support, but his health was decreasing rapidly. "I want to be with him in the afterlife, I'm still waiting."

"I know you are, Grandma." He'd not seen her since 2005, when she died. "Seven years is a long time, isn't it?"

"Yeah, and you have a baby now." She pointed to Rachel, in Valerie's arms. Valerie blushed as the woman lifted her eyebrows and tilted her head. "You take care of that beautiful woman and your beautiful daughter, you got that? Never do what my father did, _got that_?" Jonah gasped, offended at the ridiculous statement. Arian and Marissa looked over with question as Jennifer and Taylor glared at Brian.

"I would never!" Brian chuckled nervously as the women smacked him on the shoulders. Their time in the afterlife, they'd become friendly with each other. "Besides, I have more important worries…"

"Like?" Candy pushed her lips outward and Jonah sighed deeply.

"Heart problems, aneurysms, cancer…"

"Oh well don't." His ears perked up and his eyebrows rose with surprise. He stared at his grandmother curiously as she smiled his way. Valerie stepped next to Jonah and looked at him with a small smile, her heart slowly rising. "Neither you, or your children will have to worry about any of that during the course of your lives. You may have a scary moment, one day, but after that you will never have to fear. You will be plentiful, your lives filled with wonder, and your children great. God has a lot of plans for you, Jonah."

"Don't spoil anything!" The others laughed and Arian moved towards his father. He was starting to suspect something was up with his dad.

"Dad, what are the women talking about?" Brian chuckled nervously as Arian watched him quietly. Marissa frowned at her grandfather and looked to Michael, she had a pretty sickening feeling inside of her right about now.

"Michael, is this something I want to handle right now?"

"You have to know, Marissa. I didn't know until after I died, hell…better you find out now." She swallowed hard as she turned her attention to Brian.

"Grandpa, what's going on?" Brian heaved a heavy sigh as he Victoria gave him the gift of feeling. He frowned and stared at her as she smirked.

"By the way, he can feel things now, just like I did for Ken." Marissa nodded as Brian and the others grinned.

"You wouldn't hit an old man, would you?" Tyler and Hector couldn't help but to laugh, as cruel as it was. This was the most fun they had in their entire, well, afterlife. Though, they could bump it into their life too. "Okay, maybe you're going to want to hit me after I tell you this. I took this to my grave, and I feel that…It must be said." Taylor and Jennifer placed their hands on their hips as Arian eyed his father curiously. "Arian, you were just two when this happened, but you see Candice over there…" Arian looked at Candy and nodded slowly as Marissa's eyes started to widen. "Well, that's your sister."

"What?" Marissa gasped and looked to Michael, who closed his eyes.

"I had an affair with Jennifer White. Her husband couldn't have children and he didn't do anything intimate with her." Marissa began to feel sick as she took a slight step back. Arian stared at his father, anger starting to rise in him. How had his dad gone so long without word of an affair? "Granted it wasn't justified, and I never even told your mother…they kept the child and it was over."

"You…you…"

"I'm sorry, my son." Arian clenched his hands up as Marissa turned her sharp gaze upon Brian. "There are no words that I can say to-" Without warning, Arian hit him with a hard right jab. Brian shouted out and fell to the ground, looking up at his angered son, who's chest was now heaving with every hard growl escaping his lips.

"You bastard! How dare you do that to us! We grew up in a seemingly _perfect_ household!" Taylor closed her eyes and placed her hand on her arm as Arian pointed to her. "Look at her, look at mom! How could you hurt her like that?" Brian looked over, then back to his son, frowning. Arian picked him up and glared into his eyes. "The least you could have done was tell us when it happened."

"My god…" Marissa groaned and placed her fingers to her temples. She looked at Brian and shouted at him. "I had a relationship with my _cousin!_ I'm not a damn _hillbilly!_" Brian frowned as she looked at Michael and Denise. "No offense…I was very happy…" She smiled and he lifted his hand up.

"It's okay. Really." Denise nodded and smiled slightly.

"Marissa, what's important is that you actually made his last moments in life _happy_. I don't hold any resentment towards you, and certainly what Brian's saying is of no trouble."

"I'm glad you don't hate me or anything…"

"Why would I?" Marissa chuckled nervously, then glared back to Brian. Arian released him and let him stagger backwards a bit.

"I don't hate you, dad, but I certainly don't want anything more to do with you. I was just reunited with my daughter after all these years, I don't need this."

"I agree." Marissa swallowed hard and placed her hand on Arian's shoulder.

"Daddy, I'm…" He looked to her as she bit her lower lip. She knew this might be a bad time to bring it up, but there were worse things to think about than her grandfather having had an affair sometime during the 1930s. "I need you not to be too angry with Grandpa right now. I need you to be with me…"

"Okay…" He turned to her and looked at her with worry. "What's the problem?" He ignored the fact that all the other spirits closed their eyes and looked away sadly. They mourned for the news that she had.

"I'm dying, daddy. I have cirrhosis of the liver, due to excessive drinking. The doctors say I have a year…" Arian paled and the wind left him. No. It couldn't be, not after all this time. He couldn't lose his daughter so soon!

"Marissa, you…"

"I really did miss you, Daddy." She hugged him and started to sob. His eyes twisted into guilt and sadness as he tried to fight back the tears. He looked to his father, he couldn't hate the man, he couldn't even think about what he had done. His daughter was _dying_. "I love you, Daddy. I do, I really do." She snuggled close to him as his shoulder became soaked. This was the one man she could ever trust. "I'm so sorry…after what happened…I never should have left you."

"You did what was best for _you_ at the time, sweetheart. How your mother was, it was unforgivable." Arian placed his hand under Marissa's chin and tilted her gaze up, tears streaking his face and mixing into his white moustache. "What that man did to you…it was unforgivable. You didn't do anything to deserve that, and you know it." She smiled slightly as her heart started to rise up. "I know I should have stood up for you, but your mother…I always feared she'd become worse, violent, towards both of us, and I couldn't have that."

"Dad…"

"You will always be my little girl, my princess. No matter what, do you understand that?" She smiled and her eyes brightened as she nodded her head. He kissed her forehead and looked at his father. "As for you, Dad. What you did may have been unforgivable, but I am not going to dwell on it. I have more pressing concerns than what you've done." Brian frowned and slowly agreed.

"I understand, son."

"I don't hate you, but now I will never have my daughter again." Brian felt a pit in his stomach as he looked to his granddaughter. What did he have to lose, really? He was already going to the pit of darkness. He could cure that liver damage, though it was one of the worst sins a spirit could do, considering it was almost playing God. Or for that matter, playing Satan, whichever way people chose to look at it. Arian closed his eyes and held his daughter close. "Victoria, make him go away now. Please." Victoria frowned and slowly stood up from the bench.

"Okay…" Brian's eyes widened as she lifted her hand and clenched it shut.

"No, wait! I have to-" His gift left him and he was no longer visible. When this happened, it basically meant she rejected him. He then began to vanish, she was sending him back to hell. "Shit! I'm not ready, I was going to cure her!" The others frowned as he vanished completely. Now, he was gone forever. Victoria smiled as Marissa and her father continued to hug each other. She looked to Hector and Tyler, then crossed her arms.

"Two down, two to go. You're lucky that everybody's actually together for Christmas, this year." Tyler and Hector nodded their heads as the living all started to depart into the house. "So, let's see, who's going first?" The two looked at each other and chuckled nervously. Tyler knew without a doubt that Jeremy might not be entirely thrilled about his presence, so actually talking to him would be difficult, though entirely necessary. If anything, this Christmas was a perfect time to hook someone up with family. Victoria sighed and let out a small sigh. "Going to be Hector, isn't it?" Well, he _would_ be easier.

* * *

I hope you enjoyed this chapter. We've had some sad news and broken hearts, it seems, but the will can move on.


	74. Ghostly Fathers: Reminiscing

Boarded

Disclaimer: I do not own iCarly!

A/N:I know it's getting close to final's week for a lot of you, so I hope all of that goes well for you and good luck! ^_^. Now enjoy the 74th chapter

* * *

Chapter 74 (Ghostly Fathers: Reminiscing)

Sam, Melanie, and their mother were at the Trent household for Christmas this year. It was a great get together, with presents, a big turkey and ham, prefect meal being cooked, and lots of fun. There was nothing they'd be missing out on. Jeremy was over, having already celebrated Christmas this year with his family. Sam had celebrated with them and Gibby had to remain at the house with his family, thus only Jeremy could make it. He actually teased Gibby a bit because of it, and Gibby _swore_ his revenge one day. Also visiting, all the way from Texas, were Alison and Kendal.

"So, you and Freddie are managing pretty well?" Kendal asked with a smile. Melanie blushed and nodded her head. She really wanted to transfer to Freddie's school after having made it one semester, but she loved Midwestern, and her grades weren't good enough for Stanford. "I think it's great! Mitchel and I are still dating, as you know." Melanie laughed and Alison rolled her eyes, smiling at Kendal. She and Vinson were still dating too, actually. It was amazing how in tune with the world he was. Alison pushed herself from the kitchen table they were sitting at and walked to the fridge.

"Kendal, we're all rooming together, we _know_ you and Mitchel are still dating." Kendal laughed and looked from the kitchen into the living room. She saw Jessica running Jeremy all over the place, helping to clean up the living room, now covered with wrapping paper. Sam was watching the two while sitting on the couch in room adjacent to the kitchen, she was playing a video game on the PS3. The Trent's home was odd, in the sense that there were hardly any doors. There was a hallway that led to all the bedrooms and bathrooms. Outside that hallway was the first living room, where Sam was. The carpet ran and bordered with the kitchen tile. The kitchen had an L shaped bar in the middle of it, a stove and oven against the wall, fridge next to it and cabinets next to that. Then there it met with different floor tile leading out to the den, where another table rested on carpet. Going towards the first living room, one would come to the bar, which was right in the middle of the first living room and the second living room, where Jessica and Jeremy were cleaning up.

"So Melanie, how is everyone taking Jeremy and Jessica dating?" Melanie hummed questionably and looked up from her glass of tea. She smiled and looked into the second living room. Jeremy wasn't getting tired at all, he was like a tank. They really had to thank John for that. "You said they've been dating for about a year, now?"

"They started dating in June of 2011, so it's been a year and a half."

"Mm-hmm." Kendal sipped her drink slowly. She was always happy to see two people in love and never actually thought those two would become lovers. It was there, though. All the way back to the rodeo, it was hard not to see the look in his eyes, but they refused to bring that up. It was the past, and a time that no longer mattered to anybody. "So they're pretty much in love? I'm happy for them!" Alison pulled a small piece of fruit from the fridge and walked over.

"You'd be happy for anybody, Kendal."

"So? That's the way I am. So, where did the moms go?" Melanie looked back to the hallway and shrugged.

"I think they went to do some laundry and clean up the bedrooms. As for Uncle John, he's working on the yard and I _think_ he's still planning to make Jeremy do some pushups. Did you know Jeremy can do up to eight hundred pushups now? It's amazing!" Alison's jaw fell and she nearly dropped her fruit. Kendal had to do a double take. They knew the most pushups ever done was about ten thousand, but eight hundred was still impressive.

They didn't see Tyler watching them, obviously. He'd entered in the house sooner than Hector or Victoria made it. He was wowed by what he'd just heard. "Impressive!" He moved to the living room where Jessica had Jeremy running around crazily. He laughed joyfully at the sight and shook his head. "Jeremy my son, you've definitely found your woman."

"Jeremy! You dropped some of the fallen tinsel!" Jeremy stopped and looked at the ground behind him, groaning. His hand was already full of all the wrapping paper on the ground. She picked up the tinsel and placed it on top of all the wrapping paper. It was a bet to see how fast Jeremy could clean up the living room on his own. The General actually had the idea and said Jessica couldn't help, but with him outside, her picking up the tinsel for Jeremy wasn't a problem. John didn't participate in the betting process, though. He actually didn't know about it. "Remember Jeremy, if you can clean it up in under five minutes, you get a very good kiss from me. If you can't, then you don't get kissed for the rest of the day." Jeremy gasped and Tyler laughed, wiping his eyes.

"How much time do I have left?"

"Approximately two minutes."

"Crap!" Jessica giggled as Jeremy ran the trash to the bags and continued to clean everything up. It was another minute and a half before Jeremy finally finished everything. When done, he smirked proudly and looked to his girlfriend. "I'll take that kiss now, thank you very much."

"Hmm, okay…" Tyler raised an eyebrow as Jessica pushed Jeremy onto the couch and straddled his waist. She placed her hands on his firm chest and began kissing him passionately.

"Uh, son?" Jeremy placed his hands on Jessica's hips and pulled her down closer. "Oh wow…" Tyler covered his ears as Jessica started moaning lightly. He did not want to see or hear this. Turning around, he saw Sam watching the two with a smirk on her face.

"Hey lovebirds, want me to call Uncle John in here?" Jessica yelped and Jeremy gasped as the two quickly separated. Tyler sighed and wiped his brow.

"Thank you!" The doorbell rang and Sam looked up. Tyler closed his eyes and shrugged. "That would be Hector and Victoria. Finally." He had been getting impatient and had wondered what the holdup was. The thing that happened when he died, and he'd contemplated this. His evil personality, for some reason, left him. He didn't know what it was, but he didn't have sadistic thoughts, he didn't feel hatred, rather, he felt like he would have been if he'd not lost his mind through all the shit in his life. What really had sparked his insanity? Sure, his parents murder caused him to go a bit insane, but he still had a bit of sanity. He watched as Sam opened the door and let Victoria in. Hector followed him. "Nice to see you two finally made it."

"Yeah, yeah, we're here Tyler." Hector chuckled and Tyler rolled his eyes a bit. Things were getting too heated up for him. Hector, he had been like Hector when he was younger. He'd had his remorse, he'd had his good side, his conscience. When he'd lost his job, it was due to a work related injury, where he sustained a highly, near fatal electric shock and took a bad fall. Frowning as he remembered the incident. That's when everything changed, that was when his sadism really took wing, and that's when his family suffered from it.

"You know Hector, I once was a family man with family values." Hector laughed and raised his eyebrow as Tyler looked away, hurt.

"If it weren't for the fact that spirits can't lie, I would not believe you."

"I know." Victoria raised her eyebrow as everybody started to move towards her. Pam came from the hallway with Janet and smiled.

"Hey Victoria, how are you? What brings you here?" Victoria smiled nervously and glanced briskly at the two fathers in the room. This was going to be interesting. Hector looked at Pam longingly and felt his heart sinking.

"I'm good, as for what brings me here…well…" She really didn't want to have to explain to them. "You may want to sit down."

"Okay?" Everyone took their seats while Victoria moved to the center of the room with the fathers. They were wondering if they should both appear at the same time or not. In truth, Tyler was afraid to show up. So much so, he didn't want Victoria to use the gift of feeling on him.

"Okay, Ms. Puckett, Sam, Melanie…I know you guys have some unanswered questions, and, well…" The three raised their eyebrows as Victoria placed her hand on Hector's wrist. He began sweating nervously and the women watched with wide eyes as he began to appear. Jessica gasped and Jeremy's eyebrows rose. "He's got some things to say too. I'm going to skip my explanation, I've explained too many times as it is."

"O-Okay d-dear…you don't have to…" Pam started to faint and Melanie quickly grabbed her mom.

"Mom!" Pam shook her head quickly and stared at Hector.

"Wow! Okay, I was _not _expecting that!" Hector waved awkwardly and Pam rose to her feet, trying hard to ignore the fact that she was still dizzy. Melanie and Sam quickly got up to help hold her up. "Hector? Is that…" Victoria released Hector's wrist and smiled at Pam.

"It's Hector's spirit, his 'ghost' if you will. All spirits from heaven and hell are allowed to roam earth, and they visit their families." Jeremy raised an eyebrow and his eyes darted around. He casually looked over his shoulder, out the window behind him, shrugged, and looked back to Hector. "Mr. Puckett has some important news to talk about." She saw Hector looking at Alison and Kendal, a soft expression on his face. His eyes drifted to Melanie and Sam and a smile appeared. "Anything you have to say to him, say it now. You may not get the chance for a very long time." Sam pressed her lips together and stepped forward, meeting Hector's eyes.

* * *

So a calm chapter which seems focused on Tyler a bit and leading up to _his_ chapter. Next chapter is Hector's, obviously, and then Tyler's.


	75. Ghostly Fathers: Hector

Boarded

Disclaimer: I do not own iCarly!

A/N:

* * *

Chapter 75 (Ghostly Fathers: Hector)

"We can say anything?" Sam asked quietly, breathing in quietly. "Whatever we want to say?" Victoria nodded and Sam begin to feel extremely nervous. She could oddly, feel the tears coming. She didn't understand this, it was unnatural. Her father was dead, she wasn't supposed to have this once in a lifetime chance to talk to him. She crossed her arms over and tilted her head to the right. "So. Dad…"

"Hello Sam."

"How's being dead feel?"

"Hell."

"Go figure, huh?" He sighed as Sam's lower lip quivered. The memory of what occurred a year ago started to flood her mind. It had been at that time, she remembered the father that he had once been so very long ago. "You died to save us, you know…that may have been the best thing you ever did."

"You think so?" He smiled, his lips turning up just a bit. He was proud and grateful that she thought that for him. "I…I know the things I've done were really bad." She closed her eyes and shrugged, not really caring anymore.

"Whatever. You know, it wasn't your fault…that car accident so long ago." Hector frowned as Sam closed her hands up. Did she still blame herself for that? She was just a little child, she couldn't have known any better. "If I hadn't walked into that street, you wouldn't have been hit by that car…you wouldn't have gone nuts."

"Sam, that was never any of your fault, and don't even begin to think that for a second." She looked up at her father, her eyes quivering as he moved towards her, his expression soft and filled with the love of his daughter.

"You would still be here, we would have been a happy family."

"Then none of the great things in your life would have happened." Sam frowned and felt her heart pulse. Tears dripped down her cheeks as she crossed her arms over. Hector caressed her cheek softly. He couldn't feel anything, but she could feel the warmth spark off her cheek. She gasped lightly as her father gazed into her eyes. "You wouldn't have met the people you met, Melanie wouldn't have met the people she met either. You know that boyfriend of yours? You only met because of iCarly, and as for iCarly? You started that because you were friends with Carly." Sam's heart wrenched at the mention of Carly, she _still_ missed her friend. "You became tougher, I suppose, and that's really what spawned your friendship with her. Is it not?"

"That's…that's right…"

"So don't blame yourself for the things that happened to me, don't blame yourself for how I became. Understand that no matter what, I would have given my life then to save my daughters, and I still gave my life for you girls."

"I know…" Sam whimpered softly as Hector cupped her cheek with his hand. "I would have tried to change for you girls, change for your mother. I was so far into my own problems, though, that I don't know how easy it would have been to change." Sam sniffed and pointed over to Jeremy.

"He changed, though."

"Well, in truth…he remained who he was all throughout his life, _then_ lost himself. I was already an angry man, just not as abusive…after that accident, that's when I became abusive. But I have always loved you girls, and I've always loved your mother…" Sam closed her eyes and started to sob as Hector softly kissed her forehead. Melanie walked over to Sam and rubbed her back, tears streaming her cheeks as well. Pam watched sadly, suddenly remembering why it was she had loved this man. Her heart wrenched and she looked away, closing her eyes tightly. Why was he dead? Why, dear god, was he gone? "I always felt guilty, putting my hands on your mother, scaring you girls…and I always knew it was wrong, but I could never control my anger, my wrath…"

"We could have saved you, daddy. We…could have…_fixed_ the problems…" Hector smiled sadly as Sam slowly fell to her knees and placed her hands around her abdomen, weeping bitterly. "I miss you, Daddy. I miss you!"

"I know you do, sweetheart." It was always Sam that was affected the hardest, nobody really knew why, but she'd always been the closest to Hector. Which may have explained why she was always the angriest at him. "You died because of that man, because _he_ controlled you."

"Yeah I know, but I had to save my girls." She opened her eyes and smiled up at her dad.

"Thank you for that, though." Jessica nodded and Hector looked at her with a smile.

"Uncle Hector, you did everything you could to protect us. It means so much to us, that even Aunt Pam forgives your past." He blinked and looked at Pam curiously.

"Really?" Pam let out a sob and extended her hand, still overcome with grief. Janet wrapped one arm around her with comfort and looked over.

"Yes, she does. She told me she was so thankful that you were trying to save your daughters and my daughter." Hector felt his heart rise up and moved towards Pam.

"Pam, on that day, I wanted to come see you and the girls. I didn't know what Tyler had in mind, and I went along with him." Pam wiped her eyes and slowly nodded his head. "Guess I was just a pack mule or something." Tyler looked away with guilt and closed his eyes. "I wanted your forgiveness, I wanted to be there for you, for my daughters. Leave it to my brother in law to do more than I did."

"But Hector, you really did everything…you may not understand, but what you did that day…had an effect on us all." A profound one, at that. He breathed in deeply as his eyes met Alison's and Kendal's. He then remembered what he was there for.

"Pam."

"Yes Hector?"

"Do you remember my sister?" Pam smiled and nodded her head, how could she ever forget that girl? "My parents and my grandparents, you remember them too, correct?"

"Of course, how could I ever forget them! I talk to them all the time! Well, your parents and grandparents. Hell, they're actually coming to visit today! They're on the road now, should be here in another hour or two!" He smiled and nodded.

"Well that's great!" It really was beneficial for him, for everyone. As for his sister, Daisy, she died in '98, two years after her husband. He frowned and closed his eyes. "I imagine you remember the whole thing with my first girlfriend, too."

"Oh, that woman?" Her voice fell flat and her eyes narrowed. Hector chuckled at her expression, she definitely remembered her. "Is she dead yet?"

"Uh…she had a car accident in 2004. She was 44…" He shook his head and chuckled. She never liked his first girlfriend, they actually had met at one point of time and they did _not_ get along. It was merely because the woman refused to let Hector see his son, refused to make him pay child support, which wasn't a bad thing, refused to let him have _any_ involvement.

"She was a bitch."

"Right, well that's not what I'm getting at…you remember the son? Duke?"

"Yeah?" Sam and Melanie were bewildered by what they were hearing. They knew about his sister and her death. They were just four, so they barely even remembered her, or their cousin. However, they never knew about this 'Duke' person.

"Dad had another kid?" Melanie quipped. Hector turned to her and slowly nodded.

"We were forbidden to talk about him, as if he never existed."

"So…we never…got to see him?"

"No, but I imagine you'd be able to now, if you could actually seek him out."

"How?" They both were filled with excitement. The fact that he was alive would be great, and so would it be if they could actually meet him. "Does he have a kid?"

"Um, yeah…" Hector rubbed the back of his head and looked to Kendal for a second, then back to Sam and Melanie. "He was sixteen and got a teacher pregnant."

"Oh dear god…"

"Yeah, the teacher left him behind, obviously, and they put the girl up for adoption." Alison took a bite from her fruit and sighed. Sad that both Sam and Melanie's cousins were sent into foster care. It was something that she and Kendal didn't like to even remember. She pushed herself from the couch and tossed the core of her fruit into the trash.

"Must suck, right?"

"Hm?" Hector looked at Alison as she pat her hands together. Kendal frowned and looked at her, wiping an eye. She was remembering all the times she'd been through the foster care, so much so like Alison that neither of them could remember their original parents.

"Foster care, they jerk you from parent to parent, so many fucking people who _reject_ you." Alison scowled and Hector's sad eyes befell her. "Kendal went through three foster families before _finally_, someone finally adopted her. I went through _five_, then the people who were adopting her, adopted me." Kendal slowly nodded and rose up.

"We're happy with the Manden's, they finally accepted us!" She hugged Alison, who rolled her eyes and smiled slightly. "We've been with them for ten years now!" Hector slowly nodded and moved towards them.

"I know, you know being dead kind of gives you the gift of knowledge…" The girls looked at him warily as he smiled. "It's great how you two found each other, and I'm sorry that you both have had to go through so much pain. Tell me, Alison…Kendal…do you _remember_ your birth parents?" Kendal squinted her eyes, trying to think. Mitchel had even asked her. She and Alison both had talked about their birth parents before, questioning who they might have been and why they'd been put up for adoption. They never let the many foster homes they'd gone through get the better of them."

"Um, I think…no…I think I was only one or two when I was given up…met my first foster family around four."

"Right. How about you, Alison?" Alison frowned and crossed her arms, not struggling as badly as Kendal. She could remember her mother very well. All the dreams, all the memories, they'd remained in her mind. She would often smile whenever she imagined her mom's soft black hair flowing from an oval to a point at her shoulders, where she would braid it down from there. Her mom, for some reason, always dyed her hair, and that was the reason she dyed her hair black.

"I remember flowers on a sunny day…" Hector raised his eyebrow as Alison slowly closed her eyes and smiled happily. "I'm four years old and Momma's taking me to the field just outside our house. She points at a brown rabbit as the wind breezes through her hair. I chase the rabbit and she runs after me, we laugh together and we share an embrace. She tells me I'm her baby girl and she loves me, I tell her I love her, and I always want to be like her."

Such a calming description, imagining this seemed to soothe everyone's hearts. Nobody knew Alison had such a tender memory, at least only Kendal really knew about it. "I don't remember dad, because I was only two years old when he died…" Hector frowned and slowly nodded his head. Her father died in a work related injury. Her mother's life was taken in a bombing, an act of domestic terrorism. "When mom died, nobody could claim her, I think…that's what my caseworker says, at least. They just rushed me into a damn foster home without even _trying_ to notify relatives." Hector placed his hands on Alison's shoulders and looked into her eyes. She had a very hard expression on her face, her hands were trembling, and her eyes watering.

"Alison…" He breathed in and closed his eyes. "What if I told you I knew who your parents were, I know who your grandparents, and even your great grandparents are, and that they want to find you." She raised an eyebrow and Kendal gasped softly. Hector turned his gaze to Kendal and smiled as well. "The same for you too. Your father wants to see you, your _real_ father. What if I told you I know your family, that they would love to see you."

"Sounds a bit good to be true, but you're dead, so I figure you would know _now_." He laughed and slowly nodded his head, she would never know just how correct her words were. Kendal placed her hand over her chest and closed her fingers to her palm.

"You know our families?"

"Well, it's really _one_ family." They paused for a moment, confusion and wonder rising up inside of them as Hector grinned. The others had already begun piecing together his words, so they were stunned. Melanie was smiling widely at her friends as the door to the living room flew open. A man about 76, tall and lean, hurried into the room with his wife, a tiny woman with a kindred smile. She was 71. Hector looked up at the interruption as the man took his brown fedora off and called out. Pam was shocked, they arrived quicker than she thought, she must have done her math wrong!

"We're here!" The man looked back and sighed at the older couple was taking their time getting to the door. "Georgia, tell your parents to hurry up." Georgia laughed slightly and smacked her husband lightly on his arm.

"Hey, mom and dad are 90 years old, Lawrence!" He groaned and waved his hand in the air, chuckling softly.

"Ah, they're just a couple old farts who don't know how to walk." The older man was walking slowly with his wife, who had to use a walker, raised his eyebrow and looked at Lawrence carefully. He had white hair around his the back of his head and over his ears and a white goatee with a moustache. His eyes were piercing blue and his body was a bit muscular.

"Hey Larry, just remember that while I'm 92 years old, I _still_ have a sharp mind and can _still_ kick your ass."

"In your dreams grandpa!"

"Watch who you're calling _grandpa_." The older woman, laughed and cooed slightly.

"Oh Lawrence, don't mind Frank, he's just all talk." Georgia laughed as Lawrence went out to help Violet along. The group made it inside and stared at everybody. "Oh my, did we interrupt something?" Hector's eyes widened and tears started to drip.

"Mom, Dad, Grandma, Grandpa…" Alison and Kendal looked over as the twin sisters gasped and ran over.

"Grand-mama, Grand-pappy!" Lawrence and Georgia laughed happily as they hugged their grandchildren. The girls then looked over to Frank and Violet, who looked almost left out.

"Hey now, what about us? We want a hug from our favorite little granddaughters too."

"We wouldn't forget you, Grandpa and Grandma Rose!" They hugged the two, being more tender with the older ones. Hector placed his hands on the outside shoulders of Alison and Kendal, then leaned his head in between theirs. "Do you see them?"

"Yeah…"

"My parents, my grandparents. Daisy's parents and grandparents…_Your_ grandparents." Their eyes widened and the others looked to them with a smile. "Alison, your mother…was Daisy Puckett, married to George Bryant." Alison's lip shook as her tears started to drip from her face. Kendal looked at him quietly and he closed his eyes. "Kendal, your father is Duke Puckett. So now you know, your cousins are Sam and Melanie…" Melanie and Sam looked at them with bright smiles while the mothers gazed at each other, overcome with pleasant feeling. This was an extremely happy occasion. Sam held her grandmother Georgia's hand and looked into her eyes.

"Grandma, do you know how you were always wanting to find out where Aunt Daisy's daughter was?" Georgia blinked and tapped her chin, smiling lightly.

"Of course, but I guess they put her through so much trouble…it's become impossible." She frowned and closed her eyes. The four elders wanted nothing more than to find the children, both Daisy's daughter and Hector's son and granddaughter.

"Well look no more, okay? Because they're right here!"

"What?" The elders watched as Sam hurried over to a nervous Alison and Kendal, took their hands and pulled them over with a bright smile. "Dad told us. They're our family!" Lawrence took one look at Alison and nearly fainted when he saw her. She looked so much like her mother, there was no mistaking it. Alison smiled as he cupped his wrinkled hand to her cheek.

"You look so much like our Daisy. You even dye your hair like she did." Alison blushed and nodded her head, feeling her heart rising higher than she could ever remember. He looked to his wife with tears in his eyes. "Georgia, it's really her. After all these years…"

"Come here dear, give your granny a hug…" Alison nodded and hugged Georgia. Try as she might, she could never shake those tears. This was the greatest Christmas present she could have. "So long we've searched…" Violet and Frank looked at each other, tears coming to their eyes as well. As Lawrence joined the hug, they did as well.

"We thought we would die before we met you." Violet said quietly. She looked to Kendal and motioned her to come. Kendal gasped and the blood rushed to her cheeks as she pointed to herself. "You're our child too, please come." She smiled tearfully and ran over, gently hugging them. Alison and Kendal felt their hearts beam out, they finally felt at peace. "Tell us, the ones that you're with now…" Alison looked up, normally she'd feel crowded being in the center, but this was one time that she didn't.

"We're eighteen now, we can do whatever we like…" They wanted to be with their birth family after all these years, but they still cared about the Manden's. Those were the ones who had finally accepted them. Alison looked to her sister, her cousin, and smiled. "Maybe we can find your dad." Kendal looked around and shrugged. She would love to find her dad, but she had found her immediate family, she felt complete as it was.

"I've found my family, Alison. I'm happy enough…"

Jeremy and Jessica smiled at the sight. He kissed the top of her head and she snuggled closer to him. "Isn't it sweet, Jeremy?"

"Yeah, it's nice, I suppose."

"They're so lucky." He nodded his head and looked to Hector. He clicked his tongue slightly and held Jessica closer. If Hector was here, did that mean Tyler was? If he was, there were definitely things he wanted to ask him. "Hey Victoria…" The girl looked at him, teary eyed from the emotional reunion. Jessica closed her eyes and slowly exhaled, closing her hand upon his chest. She knew what he was wanting. Hell, they'd talked several times about how he felt something was missing and that he felt like he needed to talk to Tyler before he had died. She looked up and saw her dad leaning against the bar, smiling at the scene. He'd seen everything, which was a plus, nobody had to explain a thing to him. "Where's my old man at? I get the feeling he should be here somewhere." Tyler turned to Jeremy, standing directly in front of him. The others glanced over as Victoria frowned slightly.

"He's right in front of you, and he _does_ want to talk to you."

* * *

Now, it all comes to a head with Tyler's chapter. The resolution of the "Daddy Drama" portrayed by all of the fathers. Here we go, be prepared. I may wait a bit for you.


	76. Ghostly Fathers: Tyler

Boarded

Disclaimer: I do not own iCarly!

A/N:

* * *

Chapter 76 (Ghostly Fathers: Tyler)

Jessica took a deep breath as Tyler started to appear in front of her and Jeremy. Jeremy held his frown as he stared at the man, figuring he probably could strike him, nor did he care to attempt. Jessica tensed slightly and Jeremy tightened his hold on her. She wasn't afraid, but she was concerned. Tyler looked at Jeremy with a frown, wondering what would happen. "So, _pops_…" Jeremy pointed at him and tilted his head. "Your glow? It's white…"

"Yeah, it is. Don't you remember, Jeremy? I was the one always reading the scriptures at the family table when you and Kyle were small children. I was the one who prayed at your bedside with you before you went to sleep. Your mother did so for Kyle. Back when we were all…a single family unit." Jeremy's lips turned downward as Jessica looked to him with concern. Would he be okay? It was a long time since Tyler basically lost it.

"So what the fuck happened, Dad? Where did it all go wrong? Inquiring minds want to know." Tyler winced at the scorn in Jeremy's voice. It stung, but he deserved it.

"Growing up, I wasn't that bad, really. I had a few problems with authority, yeah. I was a bit withdrawn, _shady_, if you will, but I never did half the stuff the kids teased me about growing up." Jeremy raised an eyebrow as Tyler closed his eyes. "They called me 'Satan' they called me a sadist…I had a fascination with blood, okay? I earned the nickname because, as a kid…" Tyler breathed in deeply and sighed as an age old memory came to him. "We were on a field trip…" He was only eight, he was in a group of forty children, two teachers. "A large bird was flying overhead, I didn't know what type of bird it was…" A hunter fired the shot, the bird fell in front of them all. Most of the children gasped, recognizing the bird as the national symbol. Tyler didn't, and the others who didn't wouldn't speak up. "It was shot, this eagle. I started poking it, messing around with it…touching it." Jessica cringed at the visualization and Jeremy moaned, placing his free hand on his stomach.

"Damn, dad, no wonder they called you names!" Tyler rolled his eyes and shrugged. Sometimes he'd been called a 'rapist' when he was young, but he'd never raped a single woman growing up. He had a knack for being a bit aggressive and imposing, but he never raped anyone, never molested anyone, until the incident happened. "What about all your other crap? _Rapist_, _molester_, _murderer_?" Tyler sighed and held up three fingers, curling one down with each point he answered.

"I was a bit aggressive with my dates, but not that forceful. I scared the women I went out with and they would tell all their friends how I tried to rape them. Most times it was just to have a stab at me, other times it was because I was aggressive." Jessica frowned and looked sadly at him, she almost felt sorry for him, but he did seem a bit different. He seemed almost _normal_. "Molester, I don't know what started that. I think maybe when I was a teenager and I got involved in that Big Brother Big Sister program at my adoptive parent's forcible request, people thought I was too close to the kid, but I had to be in order to take him places." Jeremy slowly nodded as Tyler continued onwards. "Murderer…okay I got into fights. I mean a _lot_ of fights. I tried to kill a few guys at the school for poking fun at me."

"You never killed anyone?"

"No. Came close one time when I started choking some guy and wouldn't stop, but a teacher pulled me off. I got suspended." Hector stifled a laugh and Tyler slowly looked at him, annoyed. "Would you not? I mean, I'm trying to have a conversation with my son, here. Telling him my life story at his request…if you have any problems, go _away_." Jeremy laughed and Jessica smiled. When this happened, Tyler looked over with raised eyebrows. "So what's so funny?"

"Nothing, I just like how you simply told him off like that." Tyler smirked and folded his arms over. Well, the apple didn't fall too far from the tree. Jeremy slowly stood up and pushed his hands into his pockets. He narrowed his gaze and circled around Tyler. "So you had anger issues growing up. You had a fascination with blood, with death…why?" Tyler moved his eyes to the window and frowned. "Didn't you do anything that _normal_ teenage boys did?"

"Well…I had a fascination for the centerfold in a certain type of magazine. And sometimes, just _sometimes_, like a lot of teenagers in my day, I'd take my right hand to town." Jeremy paused for a minute, then roared with laughter. He would pat Tyler's back, but he figured his hand would go right through it. Jessica raised an eyebrow and stared at the two as Sam and Melanie sat next to her. Melanie whispered into her ear.

"Either Playboy or Penthouse."

"I know…" She laughed once and shook her head. Had Jeremy ever read any of those types of magazines growing up? Probably not, she'd never seen any, but she hadn't really inspected his living area. "Jeremy?" He blinked and looked over, knowing what she was probably thinking.

"For the record, I'd like to state that I was more interested in stuff like baseball growing up, not Penthouse." Jessica smirked and folded her arms over the chest. Tyler rubbed his chin and slowly nodded as Sam and Melanie chuckled once. The mothers nodded and the elders moved into the main room. Tyler pat Jeremy on the shoulder and laughed.

"Good answer, son. Good answer to that girlfriend of yours."

"What? It's true! Look!" Jeremy reached into his back pocket and pulled out his wallet. He revealed the center picture and Tyler's eyes brightened. It was a picture of ball player Henry Lance. Tyler's brother. "See, I have a premium baseball card of Henry Lance, his Texas Rangers days! I've collected baseball cards all my life!" Tyler felt a sense of pride for both his elder brother and for Jeremy, both were successfully running a good life. Maybe things would have been different for him, if his mother hadn't kept him away from his grandparents. "He's hit a record of 136 home runs, performs the knuckler as his greatest move, and is one hell of a good runner! I mean, he's not the _best_ or anything, but I think he is on the Rangers. He's my favorite ball player!"

_"Also your uncle…" _

"It's said that he has a son who went to school somewhere in Texas, I don't know where, but it would be _awesome_ to have met him! He's had to have his last name a bit different, only to avoid the press and whatnot, but uh…" Jeremy turned to look at Tyler, who had a very proud, fatherly expression on his face. Jeremy slowly exhaled and relaxed as he quietly pushed his wallet back into his pants, he was talking too much. "Sorry, I get excited when it comes to baseball, I'm really not an excited person…" Tyler laughed and Jessica lifted up her hand.

"I honestly think it's hot when you start talking about baseball." Jeremy blushed at her and Tyler raised an eyebrow. He prayed they wouldn't start making out again. "You get all riled up and everything, so yeah, it's sexy." Tyler cleared his throat and coughed into his closed hand, gaining Jeremy's attention.

"I don't mean to cut you two short, but I'd rather avoid a potential makeout scene. Again." The couple blushed as they thought of their earlier moment on the couch, had Tyler been there? Tyler lifted his head up and turned his gaze onto John behind the bar. "General, can you come here please?" John nodded and walked towards him. Tyler smiled and shook his hand. "Now, I know you're training my son for the army."

"That's correct, he's very military material."

"Good. It builds character." Jeremy's eyebrows lifted as Tyler rubbed his chin slightly. "About eight hundred pushups a day, right?"

"Going for one thousand by New Years. I want him to be the model soldier."

"Then train him well, but remember one thing and one thing that is most important." John nodded as Tyler lifted his index finger, then placed his hand upon his shoulder. "General Trent, never let him forget his passion. Got that? Don't let him forget about what he loves, what he holds true to his heart." John slowly nodded his head as Tyler smiled pleasently. "You know, it runs in his family."

"I understand." Jeremy's eyes widened momentarily and he stared at his father. Hello. Ran in the family? What was this, now?

"Back up a second there, dad. What does that mean?" Tyler turned around and closed his eyes, lifting his eyebrows up. One thing at a time, he needed one thing at a time.

"I'll get to that. Okay? I will get to that, because it's another thing I've been meaning to talk to you since I, well, died." Jeremy nodded his head and swallowed hard. Why was he starting to feel like he was _bonding_ with his father? His father, the man who at one time, wanted him dead. No, not that man, this was a different man, this was the man _before_ that man. This was the family man. Confusion twisted around his heart and his stomach started jumping inside of him. He was supposed to hate his father, he was supposed to never want to talk to this man again, but here he wanted different. He actually _wanted_ to talk to him. He slowly shook his head, rubbing his temples and sighing.

"I don't understand, what the hell is going on here?" Tyler frowned and the others gazed curiously. They all were wondering similar thoughts. "You're _evil_, you're a sadist, you're not supposed…you're not supposed to be like this." Tyler looked to his son, then to Victoria, wanting her to give him the gift of feeling now, in case it became necessary to feel something. She rolled her eyes and sighed, she could do it, but after him, no more for the rest of the day.

"Fine. I'm at my limit, though, so bear that in mind." Victoria closed her eyes and muttered the words of the gift. Tyler flashed for a brief second, then smiled softly. He could feel the warm air of the house hitting him, and the air was always the first sign that he could feel the earthly things.

"I understand, and thank you…" Victoria moaned and moved over to the couch, taking her seat as she became drenched in sweat. She placed her hand on her stomach as the girls next to her gave her worried glances. She smiled slightly and lifted her hand.

"I'm fine, really…just…no more doing that for the rest of the day." No more spirits better show up, requesting the gift of feeling, else she'd chew them out. At some point of time, spirits had to be taking advantage of her. Tyler nodded at her and placed his hand upon Jeremy's shoulder. Jeremy did not flinch, but stared into his father's eyes. Searching, but for what, he did not know.

"Jeremy, I am who I am, or was…the fact that I had accepted Jesus saved me from an eternity in hell, but the sadistic side of me, that demon…that part was ripped out upon death." Jeremy gasped lightly as his father looked past him at Jessica. "You have found the perfect woman for you, words can't express how happy I am for you to be moving on with your life." Jeremy smiled slightly, tears stinging the corners of his eyes as Jessica blushed crimson. "Jessica, I'm sorry for the fear I put you through that day."

"Mr. Elliot…" She closed her eyes as her heart twisted, she didn't want to remember it. She'd moved on from the memory, but it did still affect her.

"You didn't deserve to go through that, especially after Lenny. I know nothing I say is going to make any of that right to any of you. The hell that I put this family through, the crap that you've endured because of me…I know that I deserve the guilt I feel, and I wish I could have erased all that." Perhaps he had an issue with multiple personalities, who knew. Maybe in life, he had two souls and in death, he was free. Jeremy exhaled and took a slight step back.

"I don't understand what caused it, Dad. What made you…you know…go insane?"

"Do you remember, when you were four or five years old, just before your big little league game?" Jeremy frowned as he recalled the vivid memory of his father yelling at him and leaving him. The first sign of betrayal, the act that hurt him the most. Just before that, his father had been hospitalized for something that happened at work. What that was, he never knew. "I was working on some wires a few weeks before your game. I was next to the client's kitchen counter, on a ladder…these wires were coming to the ceiling. One of those wires, I had to pull all the way out, to where it was touching the floor. The client's dog ran by and hit the ladder…" Jeremy's eyes widened as he imagined his father on the job, falling onto that electric wire, possibly coming close to death.

"W-What happened?" Tyler closed his eyes and breathed out, air rushed through his nose.

"Falling down, I hit the dog's water dish that I placed on the counter for safety measures, landed on the ground with that water falling on me. I was shocked, most of the electric impulses going towards my head. I nearly died that day…" Jessica cupped her hands over her mouth and Jeremy swallowed hard. The thought of losing his father at such a young age scared him, at least it would have scared him when he was a kid.

"I looked up to you, Dad. For so long, I did. Then you changed, and now you're telling me…" His hands trembled as the tears stung him. He fought them back, trying not to reveal them. "The father I admired so much_ did_ die that day?" Jeremy started to shake badly and Jessica walked over to him. She stepped behind him and placed her hands on his shoulders, pushing them forward around his neck. He lifted his head up as she kissed the back of his neck softly and placed her head on his back. She knew how much that past affected him, knew how badly he searched for reasons to why his father had been the way he was. She knew how much pain he'd suffered, and she wanted to take it all away from him. "The man you were, dad…the man that you became. That's the man I hated." Tyler slowly nodded his head. Jeremy lifted his hand and rested it on top of Jessica's hands, closing his eyes and taking in her comforting gesture.

"I know, Jeremy."

"The father you were before that, the man who taught me about life…the man that would take us to the beach every week. I've never forgotten that man." Tyler nodded quietly as Jeremy wiped his left eye with his finger. Melanie closed her eyes and Sam looked to her own father, who was standing next to Tyler, hand upon the man's shoulder, funny how an accident seemed to 'kill' the father inside their dads. "The man I see before me…the dad I see before me…I could only _dream_ about."

"I know…"

"It's not fair!" Jeremy pushed forward, moving from Jessica's arms. She frowned as he clenched his fist. "It isn't fair! What did I do to have to lose all that? What did Kyle ever do to have to lose his father? Why did you have to do the things you did? Why make your two sons hate you? Why didn't that doctor who brought you back do his job right? Why did that client of yours not lock that dog up!" The tears broke him, his heart trembling deep inside of him as he clenched his jaw up. "I don't understand it." Tyler closed his eyes as his son continued ranting.

"Forgive me for this…" He closed his hand up and punched Jeremy in the face. Jessica gasped as Jeremy remained standing, his eyes widened, but his mind quickly snapping back into reality. He placed his hand to his face as Tyler rubbed the area he hit. "I'm sorry, son…"

"No, don't be. I…I needed that. I'm glad...that demon that was in you is gone..." Jeremy closed his eyes and wiped them with his arm. Damn, he felt like that little four year old kid again, looking up to the dad he once knew, the dad he once loved. "Just, what happens after this? I imagine you can't tell me what heaven or hell is like?"

"No, I'm afraid you have a _long_ time before that." Jeremy chuckled and looked to Jessica, smirking slightly.

"Can you tell me how she and I end up?" He held his smirk and looked back, confident about his future with her. "Though I have a pretty good idea…" Jessica blushed deeply and Tyler laughed, patting his son on the shoulder.

"No son, I'm afraid I can't tell you that. I would hate to spoil anything."

"Aw come on, you wouldn't be spoiling anything. I already have a_ good idea_ where the future's going there. At least, within the ballpark."

"Your future is whatever God's got planned for you."

"Okay dad, now _that_ isn't fair." Tyler laughed again and Jessica giggled. There was no way the man was spoiling anything. "How about kids, I have kids at some point of time in my life, right?"

"Yes."

"Awesome." Tyler chuckled and folded his arms over, smiling at his son.

"And you know what? Your sons and daughters will look up to you as the greatest dad in the world." Jeremy's eyes started to grow and his heart began to pound as Jessica relaxed her body. So, Jeremy would make a good father? Tyler stepped up to his son and gave him a fatherly hug, taking him by surprise. "All that pent up fear you have inside of you, fearing your past, fearing everything…let go of it."

"You think…" Jeremy closed his eyes and shook his head quickly. "No, of course you know how I feel, I shouldn't be surprised."

"Jeremy, you will never lay a hand on anyone you care about and you will be the very father to your children, the very husband to your wife, that you so many only dream of. Do you know why?" He stepped back and looked seriously into Jeremy's eyes. Jeremy swallowed as Jessica stepped next to him and put her arm through his.

"Why, Dad?"

"Because you've _been_ there, you know what it's like to grow up wanting a perfect father. You won't be perfect, you'll make mistakes, as anyone will do, but you will be very much the right man in the world. Not only because you'll have a great woman at your side, not because, I'm certain, General Trent will train you right, not because of your family, but because of _you_." Tyler tapped Jeremy's chest and smiled slightly as Jeremy rubbed the area over his heart. "Because of what you have right there, that is what will make the biggest difference, that is what will make you who you are." Tears came to Tyler's eyes as he placed his hands upon Jeremy's shoulders, gripping firmly. "I am proud of the man you've become, and I am so happy for the life you are living. I only wish that I had been 'there' for it all."

"In a sick, twisted way, you kind of were…"

"No, I was a hollow shell of what I once was. Lying dormant and letting a demon take control of my body..." Jeremy chuckled and smiled at his father, this was the man who always knew what to say. Tyler's eyes moved to Jessica briefly and he nodded to her before looking back, she smiled at him. "You know what? Honestly, I never fathomed that you and Miss Trent would ever get together, with as much time as you spent together as children, though…it would be hard to miss. I am extremely happy for you two, and I hope you'll continue to grow together and be strong for each other. Never let anything get in between you two. I believe in you. You may have arguments, there will be times when it's very hard, but a love…a bond…the one that you two share is _stronger_ than any I've ever seen before." Jeremy smiled proudly and looked to Jessica, who kissed his lips with a quick peck. "Give it a few years, see what happens. Who knows, maybe your future will be plentiful." He smirked and Jeremy tilted his head. "Anyway, I have one more thing that is _vital_ for you to know. Something that I only found out just before I died, but that I need to pass on to you…"

"What?"

"Get out your card of Henry Lance." Jeremy blinked and nodded as he pulled his wallet back. He was confused now, what did his dad have to do with his baseball card? Tyler took the wallet and folded it, showing the card to Jeremy. "This man, you need to find him. Do you understand me?"

"Wait? You want me to find Mr. Lance? Do you know how hard that would be?" Jeremy would love to meet the guy, but it had to be practically impossible to get anywhere near him. Tyler smirked slightly and pushed the wallet back into Jeremy's pocket.

"Where there's a will, there's a way. Trust me, you need to find him, he is my brother…your uncle…" Jeremy's eyes widened and the color started to drain from his face. His _uncle_ was the famous baseball player? His _idol_?

"Whoa, whoa, whoa, back up there! That's my _uncle?_ You never told me this!" Tyler glanced to the side and slowly shrugged.

"I thought he was dead. Tyler, my birth parents…you remember I was adopted."

"Right…"

"My mother was clinically insane. Before I was born, my father took Henry to his own parents. My grandmother is still alive, she can verify this. Either way, when I was born, mom made sure he couldn't do the same for me…they moved all the way across the country. When I was three, mom shot and killed my father, then killed herself." Jeremy gasped and covered his mouth. This was horrible! Though it made sense, it was always reported that Henry knew he had a younger brother somewhere, but could never find him. It was years ago that the report ever came out, but Henry was said to have given up the chase. Then again, maybe he was still searching, and if he was, Jeremy _had_ to find him. "He has a wife and a son now, a son who has had to go to boarding school because he didn't want to keep moving around. His boy will probably follow in his footsteps."

"I have a cousin too?" He didn't know how to respond appropriately. All he knew to do was gape and fantasize about what his uncle and cousin were like. "They must be great…"

"Well, you've met your cousin, actually."

"I _have_?" Tyler rubbed his chin in thought, as though recalling a memory. He nodded and smiled slightly.

"Yes. In fact, he was one of your bigger rivals for a time." Jeremy furrowed his brow and tried to think of who it could be, but he couldn't. He had to think, the guy went to a boarding school, was following in his father's footsteps, and he'd met him, actually becoming a bit of a rival. Thinking back, he remembered a conversation that had occurred in the baseball locker room.

_The sound of a bat being dropped against the wall attracted Jeremy's attention as he peered around the lockers. He saw Kevin roughly taking a seat amongst a group of other baseball players on the team. "Hey Kevin, good game out there, you were awesome!" Kevin shrugged as he took a drink from his water bottle._

_ "I don't know, I feel like I could have done better, and my dad always tells me: 'if you think you can do better, than you can do better, never settle for less.'"_

_ "Is your dad always a motivational speaker to you?" Kevin laughed and rubbed the back of his neck with uncertainty. He never talked about his dad, usually, because he knew what would happen if he did. _

_ "Dad is just always there for the advice, knows what to say and whatnot. I guess he gets it from his grandma. I've met Grandma Jenson a bunch of times and she's _always_ full of wisdom. That, and my dad would constantly make me practice when I was younger. I wanted to practice, that's the thing. I want to be just like my dad some day."_

_ "Your dad sounds like a cool guy." Jeremy rolled his eyes and turned away. All this talk about fathers just made him upset. His dad used to be great, before he turned into an asshole. "What's your family like?"_

_ "I don't know, I only know about half of them." Kevin replied jokingly as he wiped his brow with his forehead. "Dad's busy looking for a brother of his or something, so I guess I have an uncle out there somewhere with a whole other family. If so, I hope I meet them some day."_

_ "That would be awesome."_

Jeremy's eyes widened and he stared at Tyler in shock, was it Kevin who was his cousin? _Kevin Lance_, it sounded about right. Henry's son always went by 'Kev' and usually was not in the eye of the media that often. So, for Kevin to be him, it wasn't too far-fetched at all. "K-Kevin's my cousin?" Tyler closed his eyes and smiled at him.

"I always thought you had a good head on your shoulders."

"But, do you know what this _means_?"

"If it means you're going to go find your uncle, then that's great. I hope you will." Tyler took a step back and looked to the sky with a frown, spirits were being called back now. Jeremy could feel it too, he wasn't sure if he wanted him to go.

"Dad? What's going on?" Hector hugged his daughters tightly as Tyler started to flash.

"It's time to go, I can't stick around." Jeremy gasped and he quickly rushed to Tyler's side.

"No, not yet…" His dad looked at him with a small smile. Jeremy realized he couldn't hold his father back, but he still had so much left to say. "You're…you again, and I…"

"Son, just remember what I said, okay? You'll see me again one day, a long time from now. Remember me as I am now, remember me as I was before the accident. Be strong, be ever growing, don't back down. Be the man you most desire to become. I'll be with you along the way, in your heart, making sure you're doing what's right." Jeremy sniffed as Tyler hugged him one final time. "You will have a great life, son, and I am incredibly proud of you."

"Dad…"

"Now go find my brother, go find your family. Live life to its fullest and never, ever forget your dreams or what's important." Tyler looked at Jessica and smiled, peering his eyes over to Jeremy. "Always treat your lady right, like I know you will. She may be the best thing that's ever happened to you." The tears streamed down Jeremy's face as his father began to fade away. "Till we meet again, my son…"

"Dad…I…" Jeremy watched as Tyler smiled one last time before fading away completely. His heart jumped out and he slowly fell to his knees, overcome with emotion. Jessica quickly ran to him and knelt beside him, wrapping her arms around his shoulder and holding him close. "I hate being like this…"

"I know, Jeremy. I know." Jessica hugged him tightly and stood with him. She knew he probably wanted some time alone to think, and if so, she would give him that time to be alone. "Do you want to be by yourself for a while?"

"Y-Yeah, I think so. I need to clear my head…have to think…"

"Okay, I'll be right here." He smiled at her as she lowered her arms and looked lovingly into his eyes. "I love you, Jeremy."

"I love you too." He kissed her lightly and walked off towards the bedrooms, everything was weighing heavily upon his mind right now. What would he do? Where would he go from here? He had no idea.

* * *

A very touching, sentimental chapter. Tyler basically just gave Jeremy and Jessica his blessing even though they might not realize it, hah. So yes, it was almost like a thing of demonic possession with Tyler, I suppose. A good man before the accident, with just an odd way of life, and the devil chose to use him. Jeremy, of course, took this conversation hard. I figured he'd be one of the ones most affected in this arc, because he was the one that yearned for his father more than anyone. Now, that concludes the Ghostly Fathers arc, and we move to a more exciting and fun mini arc. You know what this mans: We'll be seeing Carly again.


	77. Jeremy's Search

Boarded

Disclaimer: I do not own iCarly!

A/N:

* * *

Chapter 77 (Jeremy's Search)

Jeremy walked down the street, scuffing his shoes along the pavement while staring into the sky. It had been a couple days since his father appeared to him. There had been a camera that was recording the day's events for Christmas, which had been left on, so there was definite proof that Tyler and Hector were there. They'd shown the video to Charlotte and the others, and she nearly fainted on the spot. She said that it was definitely how Tyler had been like many years ago

Maybe Freddie could help him, but maybe not. At least he wasn't searching blindly. He pulled the baseball card from his pocket and stared at it for a second. The only question was how to prove it, how to even locate him? Kevin was at Stanford right now, maybe he could fly over there, but it was like searching a needle in a haystack, considering the fake name. He needed something that might bring them to him. As he continued down the streets, he turned his head to the Bushwell Plaza apartments. So much history had been there, but he hardly recalled any of it. He didn't even start looking at iCarly until he'd discovered his brother had been involved in it. _"Carly, Sam and Freddie, it's hard to believe their friendship seriously waned."_ He pushed his hands into the pocket and walked to the parking lot. He frowned when he spotted a silver and red motorcycle parked next to a dark blue Acura. _"Carly's boyfriend, I should apologize for roughing him up that day. Wonder if he remembers that at all."_ Carly may or may not even live in the same apartment anymore. She'd be turning nineteen pretty soon, so she ought to be getting her own place by now. Especially if Spencer and Sasha were planning on starting a family pretty soon.

Maybe Carly could help him locate his family. After all, she might still have that power. Then, who was he kidding? It had been two years since iCarly ended, if she threw up an iCarly webcast, then who really would look? Once he entered the lobby, he found Lewbert working studiously at the desk. The man had done some serious changing in the last few years, got his wart removed and appeared more businesslike than ever. Jeremy smacked his hand lightly on the desk and smiled. "Hey Lewbert, how's it going?" Lewbert jumped slightly and sighed, looking up from his paperwork. He still had issues with people coming up to him so quietly, without any warning whatsoever. He wiped his brow and smiled pleasantly.

"Can I help you?" Jeremy rubbed his chin and nodded.

"Do you know if Carly Shay's still in the same apartment?" The man frowned and turned to the shelves behind him, gripping a large book from the shelf and dropping it against the desk. It was a book detailing all the residents of Bushwell.

"Let me see here…" He started flipping through the pages until he came to the Shay's. Since the Bensons moved out, he knew someone moved in, but he wasn't sure who. He thought it was Carly. "Ah yes, since Mr. Shay married and Miss Shay started college, she moved into the apartment across from them, the Benson's old room." He looked up and closed the book. "Miss Shay is now in 8D." He scratched his cheek and closed his eyes. He was fortunate that the removal of his wart didn't leave a nasty scar. "Would you like me to call upstairs and inform her of your arrival?"

"Sure."

Lewbert nodded and grabbed the phone, dialing the extension for Carly's apartment. Jeremy leaned back against the front desk and eyed the lobby. They had renovated it over time. The walls were a light brown, polished look, and the floor had brown shag carpeting. In the center were three red velvet couches facing a glass coffee table on a round, vanilla rug. He thought it looked very calming. "Miss Shay, you have a visitor. Should I send him up?" Jeremy looked over briefly, then back to the lobby. There was a fireplace behind the middle couch, it had a current flame burning in it. Lewbert hung the phone up and Jeremy turned back around. "Okay, you can go right up."

"Thanks man." Jeremy made his way over to the elevators and pressed the up button, glancing back to see Lewbert grab a book and turn around in his chair. The elevator rang and he stepped in, pressed the button he needed, and waited till he reached the floor. Once there, he exited and walked down the hall towards Carly's apartment. He honestly didn't know why he was visiting, or what he even hoped to achieve.

Stopping midway, he leaned against a wall and pulled out his phone, everything he was doing felt completely random to him. _"My thoughts are too scattered right now…"_ He dialed Jessica's number and waited for her to answer. Once she did, he began speaking. "I am visiting Carly and I have no clue why. I just randomly decided to." Jessica paused and chuckled once.

"You've seem so lost since Tyler's spirit came to you." Jeremy pressed his lips together and shrugged. "You think maybe she'd help get your Uncle over here? It's not the first time she's gotten the attention of famous people."

"I know, but it just seems so unlikely that something like that would happen. Do you think I should try?" She rubbed her chin and shrugged. At least she thought he should go for it.

"It never hurts to try. I could come over and help out any way I could, if you wanted."

"I would love that, actually." He was extremely nervous, anyway, so he ought to be able to feel more comfortable with her there. "Do you think you could, maybe, go by my house and see if there's any documents you could find? Maybe birth certificates and whatnot?"

"Okay, I'll get ready and head on over. I'll go by your house and see what I can find as well. See you soon, I love you!"

"Thank you, and I love you too." He smiled as they continued their farewell for another minute. When they hung up, Jeremy moved to Carly's door and knocked. She opened the door and met his eyes.

"Jeremy, what brings you here?"

"A couple things, I guess."

"Well, come on in, then." He made his way inside and spotted Griffin on the couch. Griffin looked at him and suddenly jumped up and ran behind the couch. He shook and yelled out at Jeremy. Carly rolled her eyes and closed the door. "Griffin, it's okay, he's not going to do anything." She walked towards the kitchen area and pulled open the fridge. "You want anything to drink, Jeremy?"

"No thank you." Jeremy sat on the couch and sighed. "Jessica's coming over in a bit."

"Oh, okay then." She pulled a soda from the fridge and closed the door. She opened the soda and took a sip of it while leaning forward against the counter. "So, what can I do for you?"

"I'm not sure, really." He rubbed the back of his neck and groaned a bit. He looked back at her and sighed. "I need to find a way to contact my Uncle on my dad's side and something told me that you might know how to do that…"

"Oh? Oh!" She smiled and moved over to the living room. "Of course I can help you out!" He raised his eyebrow as Griffin looked at her.

"Could you get me a soda?" She looked at him blankly and turned her attention back to Jeremy.

"Griffin, if you wanted a soda, you should have asked me while I was over there. Get your own." Her voice was flat and irritated, lately she had been finding him more and more annoying. He never seemed to want to do anything with his life, just collect things. Hell, he wasn't even attending any sort of college.

"Yeah, sorry." He moved to the kitchen and Carly sat on the other end of the couch. She looked at Jeremy and set her drink on the coffee table.

"I'm going into law and studying a bit in the child protective areas. Right now, I do more of a side thing in bringing families together. I'm probably going to be a detective or a lawyer. Anyways, give me some information and I can start working towards finding your Uncle."

"Well I know _who_ he is and all…" Her brow furrowed and he moved his eyes to the side. If he already knew who the guy was, then why did he need her assistance. "It's a matter of contacting him and the proof that comes into question. I know he's been looking for me, but yeah…"

"Okay, so who is he? Tell me everything about your father's side." She leaned over to the end table and opened the drawer. She pulled out a notebook and pen and started writing. He chuckled nervously and closed his eyes, spilling it out.

"Okay, well my father and uncle were separated when the uncle was three. They basically never knew each other, but knew they existed, sort of. Dad's parents killed each other, Nathan Lance and Dorthea Ryan, a murder suicide that occurred in 1962. Nathan gave his son to his mother, May Jenson, who is still alive, I believe." He took note of how furiously Carly was writing all this down, it was impressive.

"Go on."

"Okay. So, Dad was the younger. The older is Henry Lance…" Carly raised an eyebrow and looked up at him momentarily.

"The baseball star?"

"Yes."

"Wow, I can see the conflict." He chuckled nervously as she waved her hand in a circular motion. "Not too hard to deal with. Continue." His eyebrows rose in surprise and he shrugged. If she could manage this, then it would be very impressive.

"He has a son named Kevin. He's the same age I am and goes to Stanford University. After that, I don't know much else. I do know that Freddie is friends with Kevin…"

"Okay then." She pushed the pen inside the side spirals and placed the notepad on her legs. She frowned and looked at Jeremy curiously.

"So what's the problem? You know who they are."

"Yeah, but I don't know how to contact them. I can't just try and call the public number that Uncle Henry has, I might never get through all those damn fan things. The fact that it's _known_ he's looking for his long lost brother is another issue."

"People calling in constantly, saying they're either his brother, his nephew, or his niece…yeah, I can see how that might be an issue. You need proof and you need someone inside. Your father being deceased now makes it difficult to provide any kind of evidence there, but if you could get something from your great grandmother, whom you say is still alive…"

"Yeah, but I have absolutely no idea where she's even located."

"Right. You know, I do work for a website where I put up videos of my clients giving information, but those are mostly for the ones who don't know their relatives, they just know they're somewhere. I also use the old iCarly site as a basis for putting videos up too. Do you have any documentations at all?"

"Jessica's going to look and see what mom can find. There's got to be some files and stuff _somewhere_. I know she would have a copy of Dad's birth certificate and adoption papers somewhere, all that stuff went to her when he died. She requested it for my records."

"Okay, this is all good." She smiled with confidence and placed her hands in her lap. "I think I can help you." Looking to the side, she spotted Griffin tapping his fingers on the kitchen counter. "Griffin, go fire up the camera."

"Sure thing, babe." She watched blankly as he ran up the stairs. Shrugging, she stood and walked over to the door, somebody had just knocked. When she opened the door, Jessica hurried inside.

"I'm here, and I've got a ton of stuff, including your favorite baseball bat and baseball." She was holding the bat in her hand and tapping it on the shoulder that a backpack strap was. Jeremy chuckled and moved over to her, kissing her lightly.

"Thank you so much. What would I do without you?"

"I have no idea." She smirked lightly and brushed past him. Carly chuckled slightly and led them upstairs. Once there, Jeremy took note of how different and mature this studio looked from the look of the studio that was the iCarly studio years ago. Jessica took note too. It actually looked a little like an office room. In the center was a sandy oak desk with a two chairs, one behind it and one next to it. It sat on a red, oval shaped rug. There was a couch to the side, Carly motioned them over and sat down.

"All right, while Griffin starts setting everything up, let's go through the documents and see what we can use and what we can't."

"Okay." Jessica pulled the backpack from her shoulder and set it on the ground. She had a lot of good things that should apply. Even Gibby wanted to know his uncle. Everything was riding on this, possibly.

In about twenty minutes, Carly was at her desk and Jeremy was in the chair next to her. Jessica was standing next to him, smiling at the camera. This feed was going on multiple websites all across the world. Carly loved to reunite families. She wasn't sure exactly what she wanted to be, whether working in child protective services, a lawyer, or a police officer, but she knew what was a constant that she did love. The happiness and joy that came with relatives coming together after a long separation. This was the joy and bliss she lived for.

Griffin stumbled to turn on the camera, having not been a very camera knowledgeable person. In truth, it was their friend Brad who helped out more. When she had to broadcast something, he was the one she called. Carly rolled her eyes as Griffin finally turned the camera on and lifted his thumb at her. She cleared her throat and looked to the camera, tapping the papers on the desk. "This is Carly Shay, affiliate with families lost dot com, icrc dot org, and adoption searcher dot com. I'm broadcasting again on several sites, looking to contact the family of this man." She turned to Jeremy and smiled politely at him. He waved to the camera and looked to Carly. "Why don't you tell us a little about yourself?"

"Um, okay…" He was very nervous, he had never been on camera before. She had so many connections that he was being broadcasted to. Sure, more _was_ better, but it was also scary as hell. She placed her hand on his wrist and gave him a reassuring look.

"Don't be afraid, okay? We're going to get this done." Jeremy nodded and Jessica took his hand, squeezing it gently. She gave him a reassuring smile and he was comforted. "Jessica's here to support you too, so that's good."

"Right…" He took a deep breath and looked to the camera. Hopefully he didn't look too horrible. What would happen if someone responded? What would his family be like? His stomach felt empty, but he had to push that aside. "My name is Jeremy Elliot, I was born on March 5th, 1993 and my father was Tyler Elliot. Before he died, he told me of something he'd discovered recently, that he had a brother who had a family. He told me who they were and I didn't know how to contact them." Carly sifted through the papers and lifted up a packet for the camera.

"Tyler Elliot was adopted on June 1st, 1962, to Jack and Emma Elliot. He was born January 23rd, 1959 and died on June 19th, 2011. I'm holding his adoption papers in my hand." She sifted through the papers and pulled out the original birth certificate. "I'm holding in my hands, the original birth certificate received by his ex-wife from the adoption agency handling his case. His birth parents were Nathan and Dorthea Lance. They died on January 24rd, 1962. Is this correct, Jeremy?"

"Yes. My father told me that he never knew he had an older brother because he was sent to his grandmother before I was born, as dad's mom was basically insane. She moved them afterwards, preventing grandpa from doing the same for dad. After that, grandma killed Grandpa and herself."

"I see. And your great-grandmother, she is…" Carly flipped through the papers and narrowed her eyes a bit. She smiled when she found the document she was looking for. "May Jenson, born October 22, 1913. Your mother also has the last journal of your father, and in it, he mentions who his older brother was?"

"Right. My uncle is Henry Lance, and I'm trying to find a way to get through to him. I don't know how to do that."

"That is why you're here, and I'm going to help reunite you with your uncle, I will do everything I can. Please, tell us a little more about yourself and about your family. You have a younger brother yourself, correct?"

"Right, Kyle 'Gibby' Gibson, along with Guppy, who is our youngest." Jeremy went on to answer more questions and explain everything he could. Inside, he felt like he was going to explode, but Carly and Jessica kept him calm and on his toes. He prayed with all his heart that _someone_,_ anyone_, would know what to do or who to contact.

* * *

The next chapter, things begin spinning in the right direction. Be prepared though, around chapter 80 starts the "wrap-up" process where steadily we see the characters getting into happier times. There are a total of 92 chapters, and the 92nd chapter will leave open the sequel to BOARDED, which I can promise you that it won't (hopefully) be anywhere near as long as this story! Can't tell you too much for fear of spoiling the very final chapters, like who or what certain people become. Just be ready, and LANTERN/HIRUMA/RUMBLE, I wholeheartedly expect to see you there :P XD


	78. Frenzied Family

Boarded

Disclaimer: I do not own iCarly!

A/N:

* * *

Chapter 78 (Frenzied Family)

In an upscale Seattle retirement home, just a day later, three elderly citizens sat around a table eating their dinner. Becky Jones, 97, Valerie's great-grandmother. Selena Todd, 99, Jonah's great-grandmother, and May Jenson, 99. Currently Becky and Selena were going on about how they met their great-great granddaughter about a week ago. May was a bit jealous, simply because they actually had a great-great grandchild. "You two are lucky you've lived long enough for that to even happen. My great-grandson's not even married yet." Becky looked over and slowly nodded.

"Perhaps they will soon." It was literally a blessing to even have a generation go down that far. If you had a great-great-great grandchild, then you were lucky as hell. There was a man in the home who was 101 years old and his great-great-great-great grandchild had been born recently. He had bragging rights, but was too senile to even know. Hell, his family never even came to visit. The women sighed as they looked to the corner of the kitchen where the old man sat among nurses. He had a sagging face, wrinkles covering every inch of him, his back was severely humped over and his body extremely thin. Selena whistled lightly and closed her eyes.

"Thank god we're not in that state and our families actually visit us." The other two agreed and moved back to the mush that the nurses called 'food'. Selena forked her meal and groaned. "I don't know what the hell this stuff is. Whatever happened to steak, potatoes and peas?"

"We stopped able to digest that twenty years ago." They laughed together and sighed. They knew they could still chew hard food, but on Tuesdays, they didn't get that option because the cooks refused to make even slightly hard food for people older than 95. "Come on, we may be old, but at least we're _healthy_, damn it."

"I _know!_" The women were very blessed with minimal wrinkles. Selena was the one with a medium amount of wrinkles and age around her lips, deep set eyes, sagging earlobes and white hair that was swept around much like the style of cotton candy. She had a straight back and often wore a dark purple jacket over a white dress shirt. She appeared to have very expensive tastes and was almost always going on about etiquette and how to be prim and proper. At her age, she still enjoyed drinking a glass of champagne. Becky had half rimmed glasses, slight wrinkles on her face and thin, but very sandy, brown hair that covered the tips of her ears. She never had her hair in curls. Her teeth, much like the others, always were in a straight line and were still clean and white. She often wore earrings that dropped a bit and would usually wear a blue gown that went just slightly past her knees. She had a slight hump in her back, but hardly noticeable, unless she were bending over and eating. May had thick, curly white hair, the least wrinkles of the three and deep hazel eyes. She would wear a white collar shirt and blue pants, along with a pearl necklace given to her many years ago by her late husband, she could never bring herself to part with it.

"Unfortunately my grandson couldn't take care of me and move on with his career at the same time." May sighed and took a bite of her meal, it tasted like cornmeal to her. Cornmeal, mixed in with cream of mushroom soup. "Ugh, this is disgusting." Becky and Selena looked at her and chuckled as she glared at the food.

"Think they'd notice if we secretly threw this in the trash?"

"We could, but you know something, Becky? They might pull it out of the trash and force us to eat it." The girls laughed and decided to simply eat their food without complaining. Hell, they were some of the best residents there and were always able to go away on their own. Becky was honestly _still_ allowed to drive! "If my son was still alive, he'd be able to let me live with him I bet. But whatever…" Becky and Selena looked sadly at their friend, they knew about her son's death and the disappearance of her other grandson. They knew everything about each other and had been the first to greet May when she came to the retirement home eight years prior. It was during that time when Henry and his family settled in Seattle for about a year. Despite still moving all over the place, they _always_ made time to come see her. Becky and Selena were blessed in the same light, though they saw their families more often.

"Well, what do you girls say after we're done eating, we hop in my car and go for a drive?" Selena raised her eyebrow and took a bite of her food.

"And go where?"

"I don't know, anywhere but this old person farm." They all knew about the fact that the great-grandparents of the Puckett's on both Hector and Pam's side were still alive in their nineties and _didn't_ live in a nursing home or retirement center. It wasn't fair. But at least their children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren _could_ make time to care for them. "Maybe we can go party with Gregory and Helen." Gregory and Helen Madison, 93 and 89, respectively, were Pam Puckett's grandparents. They lived on their own and outlived their daughter. They were great friends with the retirement community and had been offered a place there for whenever they were needed. It wasn't necessary and Pam almost always would visit whenever she had a chance, the same went for Janet. Together, they took care of their grandparents just fine. Sam, though in the military, was also being trained in the medical field by the military. This meant she would become a doctor and could take care of her great-grandparents without them having to go into the retirement center.

"Those two are lucky as hell. Same goes for Frank and Violet." The ladies nodded and murmured their agreements. It was a pity that none of them had doctors for descendants who could take care of them. Victor having five children left him unable to care for his mother and grandmother. Verna, while able to care for herself at 75, was still unable to handle both her own medications and Becky's medication. Selena's case was obvious, she'd sadly outlived both her daughter and her granddaughter, both taken by cancer. Her great-grandson was in college and now had a daughter of his own.

May chuckled and stirred her food, simply playing with it a bit. "Anyway, yeah, let's get the hell out of this elder infested place, I want to party it up." She looked up at the television screen as a nurse turned it up. Some family show was airing. "Hey look, it's that Carly Shay, looking to get someone with their family again." Selena and Becky looked over, holding their forks in their mouth. They all thought it was great what Carly did for people, she could possibly have a great future. May turned back to her food as her friends continued watching. Once they heard May's name, they spit their food out and gasped.

"May! That's you! He's talking about you and your son!"

"What?"

"Look!" Becky pointed and May quickly turned around and listened. She gasped as she heard her name mentioned once more.

"Oh my god, it is me!" She quickly rose to her feet and the staff members looked to her as she pointed to her screen. "That's my great-grandson! He's talking about me!" She could feel it in her blood as she listened to him more. The way he talked, the way he sounded, it was much like Henry, much like her son as well. There wasn't much they could do about it, though. She turned to her friends and grinned. "I'll be right back, girls."

"What?" She took off and they quickly stood up. "Wait!" They looked at each other for a second, shrugged, and hurried after her. None of them could run very well, but at least they could move quickly. "May, hold up! What are you going to do?" Once they reached May's room, she sat on her bed and looked at the brown phone on the end table with a grin.

"I'm calling Kevin, he'll know what to do. My grandson is likely too busy to get a call and I don't know what Megan's number is." The women nodded and sat on the other bed while she dialed Kevin's phone number. She prayed he wouldn't be in a class right now, she wasn't sure what his schedule was like.

Kevin was with Penny, who was trying to get him to relax as he paced about the room, scratching the back of his head in a crazed, nervous fury. Carly's broadcast had been posted on the iCarly website and oddly, he _still_ got an email alert for it. He thought he removed that site from his subscriptions, but he hadn't. "Kevin, relax."

"I can't, there's too much stress going on as it is. Now I find this stuff out?" He looked to his girlfriend and sighed. He had to worry about keeping his appearance up, not doing anything to attract media attention to his father. He and Penny were engaged to marry, they planned to wed on a week after his twentieth birthday. This was good, considering the fact that Penny was four months pregnant, her due date was sometime in May of 2013. It just couldn't be let out that the son of Henry Lance had a pregnant girlfriend. "What the hell do I do? Who do I call? Do I call Freddie? No, maybe I should call my father's personal line…" No, his father was at a big game thing, a conference or a dinner, somewhere in New York. "No, I think he's meeting with the Yankees or something." They'd been able to see each other over Christmas and New Year's, but when the first of January came, Henry was forced away.

"Baby, relax…" Penny stood behind him and wrapped her arms around his neck. "All this stress won't help you at all." He slowly exhaled and closed his eyes.

"I know that. With college starting up and the season beginning, I'm all worked up." She smiled and started to massage his shoulders, hoping this would calm him down. His phone started beeping from the end table next to his couch and Penny walked over to answer. "Who is it?" She smiled and handed him the phone.

"It's your Gramma Jenson." His eyes grew and lips turned upwards as he took the phone.

"Hey Grandma!"

"Kevin, have you seen the television?" He frowned as she went on to explain what she just saw.

"I didn't know they would televise that…wait, nevermind…" In all the drama, he had forgotten how May would always call him and tell him about what was going on with Carly Shay and the families she was bringing back together. "What am I supposed to do about it?"

"Well…your mother's flying up here today to visit me while your father's away. Maybe I could tell her, but I don't know her personal line."

"That's right…" He could call his mom, she'd know what to do! Hell, she was practically the brains in the family. He talked a little more with May, then she had to hang up when the nurses went to make sure she finished her meal. She would have complained, but that would have made them consider giving her _more_ food. Penny tilted her head with concern as Kevin started sifting through his address book on the phone. "I'm going to call Mom, she'll know what to do."

"Okay, that sounds like a plan." His father really wasn't always that busy, this was just an inconvenient time for him. Hell, there were a lot of inconvenient times, but whenever something took him away from his family, he easily made up for that. Kevin sat on his couch and waited for his mom to pick up. He didn't remember what her flight time was, but wasn't surprised when she answered and he heard a flight attendant talking to a nearby passenger.

"Hello? Kevin? Is something wrong, sweetie?"

"Mom, have you seen Carly Shay's recent broadcast?" Megan frowned and tapped her chin, she had not seen it.

"No. But I can. Is it urgent?"

"Very! It sort of involves dad's long lost brother." Megan's eyes widened and she quickly nodded her head. She reached to the brown briefcase under her chair and pulled it up.

"Give me a minute and I'll call you back, okay?"

"Okay mom. I love you."

"Love you too, sweetie." Megan brushed her sandy blonde hair back and it floated over her shoulder. She was wearing a casual blue shirt and jeans, she didn't like to wear stuffy looking clothes. She opened her laptop and waited as it turned on. Once it turned on and connected to the plane's free wifi, she searched for, and found Carly's main family website that she was affiliated with and found Carly's agent profile page. Megan and Henry were always deeply involved with the family reuniting webpages, as they always were searching for Tyler. Megan was the one who had detailed their own family profile and listed Henry's brother under the 'lost' list. She watched Carly's broadcast and smiled as she saw Jeremy and Jessica.

Her eyes became teary as the broadcast went on, she was seeing so much of her husband in Jeremy and so much that seemed to say he was definitely related to her husband's family. They'd received numerous statements from other people saying they were related, but none had a single _certified _copy or original document to prove it. How grateful she was for the fact that Tyler's ex-wife, though she didn't have to, kept _everything _that Tyler had in his records. Had they actually found their nephew?

She looked at the time and sighed, they would be landing soon and she'd have to shut off all electric items. Thinking fast, she clicked on Carly's agent contact page and pulled her cell phone out. She closed her laptop and dialed Carly's number, waiting patiently for a response and wiping her eyes. "Hello, this is Carly Shay, how can I help you?"

"Miss Shay? This is Megan Lance. I'm flying to Seattle to see my grandmother-in-law and I just caught your broadcast. I think you might have found my nephew."

* * *

Dun dun dun, leave it to Aunt Megan to be the one who shows up. Bet you thought it'd be Kevin to initiate first contact, but I like the idea of a kind and caring Aunt being the one who really gets the ball rolling. Uncle Henry's been mentioned a lot, and now he's going to show up in the next chapter!


	79. Finally Connected

Boarded

Disclaimer: I do not own iCarly!

A/N:

* * *

Chapter 79 (Connected)

Megan stepped out of the airport, able to finally breathe a sigh of relief. She was talking on the phone with Kevin and pulling her luggage behind her. She was trying to make sure Kevin kept his calm and started to relax. "Maybe you should contact Freddie, maybe not, but I have to get settled at the hotel first and then see Granny May. I am going to confirm this, okay?"

"But how? I mean sure he's got all the proper documents, but they still have to see his DNA, right?" That was the trouble, too. It was a requirement that his DNA could connect to them. Even she wasn't sure if this was the real deal, but she felt in her heart that it was right. If so, she couldn't wait to smother him like an Aunt smothers her nephews and nieces. "His dad's dead, Dad is in New York, I'm in California…how the hell can we do the DNA testing?"

"Kevin dear, take a deep breath and relax, okay? Your mother will think of something." She smiled as she lifted her hand for a taxi. She already knew that May could provide DNA for testing. Kevin smiled and closed his eyes, he always imagined what having a cousin would be like, but unfortunately he'd missed out over the years. It wasn't fair. Although, he was surprised to see that it might be _Jeremy_ that would be his cousin. He didn't care who it was as long as he had one. All that mattered was his having a complete family and no more searching. Megan got into the taxi with her luggage and looked to the driver. "Sheridan Hotel on Main Street, please." The driver nodded as she sighed and closed her eyes. "Now, I've contacted the agent handling the case and have arranged a meet, she's able to meet up on Saturday at the hospital if I'm able to get someone to contribute their DNA. Not a word about this to your father, got that?" She smirked slightly and Kevin tilted his head. "If this is his nephew, I want to surprise him after it's been confirmed. I hate to think that he won't know his brother, but at least he will have…actually, three nephews." She remembered Jeremy talking about Gibby and Guppy, so this was perhaps the best thing that could ever have happened for them.

"I imagine dad's going to want to put everything on hold." He definitely would, and that act alone would attract unwanted media attention, but they didn't have a choice where that was concerned. They just had to avoid it as much as possible. "As for me, I would love to fly over to Seattle." The only problem was, he couldn't put anything off. He would have to wait, but it wouldn't be a long wait. His parents would definitely visit him with Jeremy in tow, at least he hoped so.

"You'll get to see your cousin very soon, Kevin dear. Isn't this the same boy who was on the baseball team at Chestnut?"

"Yes." She smiled and looked out the window as the buildings passed her by. Seattle was always such a busy city, she never liked living there. "You know, it's a good thing Dad's retiring pretty soon." Fifty-six was a high age to be playing baseball. Henry was planning on retiring by the end of this season, but this might make him retire much sooner, unless he wanted to coach.

"Honestly, I'll be glad when he does." She laughed lightly and Kevin chuckled. "No more traveling all over the country, we just need a good place to settle." Seattle might just be that place to settle down at, especially if that was where family was. Only time could tell.

Saturday came around and Jeremy was on his way to the hospital with Jessica at Carly's request. He wanted to know what was going on, she told him it was a matter of urgency. Gibby was in the backseat with Guppy, who, at nine years old, had a 'girlfriend' of his own. This 'girlfriend' was with them as well.

The group hurried into the hospital and towards where Carly told them to meet up. When they made it to the room, they saw Carly talking with a woman of fifty and a much, much older woman. There were nurses everywhere and official looking people all over. Guppy hated hospitals because every time he had to go to one, it was because of something bad. This was the first time where it seemed something _good_ would happen, and yet he was still nervous. His girlfriend, or lady friend as everyone else called her, huddled close to him.

"Guppy, I'm afraid."

"Don't be afraid, Monica…"

"You're shivering!"

"I'm cold." Carly turned around and smiled at the family. The sandy blonde haired woman next to her smiled at them and took a step forward.

"Hi Jeremy, I'm your aunt, Megan." Jeremy's eyes widened and his jaw fell. Was this really her? Was she seriously standing in front of him? This was amazing. Jessica grinned brightly as he slowly stepped forward. Gibby couldn't believe his eyes, that he was honestly seeing this. He'd have to give his DNA too. Guppy didn't have to, considering Tyler wasn't his birth father. The second he saw people with needles and figured out he was going to see both his brothers getting stuck with those things made him wonder why the hell he'd come along. He just wanted to see his brothers reunited with their birth family.

"Aunt Megan?"

"Yeah, I guess this DNA stuff is a requirement. Your Uncle's in New York, they're trying to convince him to become a coach. Your cousin is back at college, getting ready to start back up." She took Jeremy's hands and looked into his eyes, smiling lightly. "You know how much you look like your grandfather? You realize that your grandfather actually played baseball too? My husband was very much into baseball, not a player, but his father was. Now that man's father, Michael Jenson, was one of the _first_ players and actually knew Alexander Cartwright."

"He _did?" _Jeremy's eyes widened and he looked to the others in surprise. He'd never knew that, he never researched Henry's ancestry. Alexander Cartwright was _the _baseball player, the man that started the first real team, the first 'modern' rules of baseball. His ancestor actually _knew_ the man? "You're serious?" Megan nodded and looked over as May walked to them. It was Gibby who figured who she was first.

"Is this our Great-Grandmother, May?" Megan nodded and May had tears in her eyes.

"Yes, I am. I am so glad to have lived to see you two." She hugged the two and they gently hugged her back. "I am your father and Uncle's grandmother, so I'm offering my DNA." Megan looked over to Guppy and smiled.

"You're Guppy, I presume?" He grinned and proudly pushed his chest out. Megan closed her eyes and hugged him as well, she was thrilled to meet him. Gibby folded his arms over and looked thoughtfully at the women.

"Can I ask how you're so sure?" Megan stood straight up and looked to his eyes.

"Intuition." He chuckled as he hugged her. He didn't care how they knew, he just wanted to get this done. He was also forever grateful to Carly, who decided to work for his brother without charge. Carly stepped behind Jeremy and Gibby, placed her hands on their shoulders and smiled.

"Okay you two, let's get the DNA stuff out of the way, all the paperwork done, and everything should be clear." Megan watched May walk to a table, then moved her eyes to Carly, her cheekbones rising.

"I can't thank you enough, Miss Shay." Carly blushed lightly and slowly nodded her head.

"It's what I live for." Gibby tapped his chin and allowed Carly to lead him, along with Jeremy, to a couple of tables. He always wondered who it was that got Jessica to file that restraining order against Lenny and who orchestrated Lenny's sister being taken to custody where someone better could take care of her.

"Carly, was it you that brought the child protective services to Lenny and got Jessica to file that order? I've always wondered that…"

"Yes." She responded without really looking up from the table she was at. She was now busy signing some papers. Gibby chuckled and shook his head while sitting down. Sam might find that incredibly interesting.

Not long after, in New York, Henry Lance and his coach battled photographers and reporters. He groaned as reporters grabbed at his sports jacket and he continued trying to pull away towards the coach's car. "Mr. Lance! Can you tell us _why_ you're retiring so suddenly!" He moaned and looked around, not seeing any way he could cut through all these people. He brushed through his slightly long brown hair and looked helplessly at his coach. Both men were getting very annoyed.

"Mr. Lance! Can you tell us about that recent broadcast?"

"What bro-oh…" His head was spinning as he continued to search for an opening. He saw Coach Randolph's red corvette a little ways off and sighed, somehow they needed to make a break for it. Megan had called him up, informing him about how they found his nephew and all about the broadcast. He honestly had doubted the veracity of those family reunion sites that she always talked about, but it seemed they worked out.

"Are you retiring because of this?"

"Have you finally found your brother or relatives?"

"A question, Mr. Lance!"

"A question, sir!" The coach growled and Henry chuckled nervously, he was beginning to sweat at the brow. God this was overwhelming. Why, oh why, did his son want all this? Well, playing the game was the _good_ aspect of it, and Coach Randolph was really looking forward to hiring Kevin when he graduated from college.

"Please sir, a moment of your time!" The coach stepped in front of Henry, his face red with anger and his arms stretched outward.

"Shut up! He has no time to talk! Get the _hell _out of our way! We have a damn plane to catch!" Another reporter shoved his microphone in Coach Randolph's mistake, to which Henry chuckled a bit, it was a _huge_ mistake to make.

"Coach! How do you feel about losing your best player?" Coach Randolph's chest heaved and fire burned in his eyes as he ominously placed his hand on the microphone. The reporter chuckled nervously and tugged on his collar as the others in the crowd started to back up. They watched nervously as the coach began gripping the microphone tightly.

"Get.." The reporter's eyes widened as he felt his microphone being tugged. "Out of…" His eyes darkened as he glared into the man's eyes. The other reporters and cameramen were beginning to gather the warning. "Our…" Randolph knew how much this occasion meant to Henry and he was _not_ letting _anything_ stand in their way of getting to his nephews. "WAY!" He pulled the microphone from the reporter and smashed it on the ground, his voice roaring above the commotion. The frightened reporter backed up and all the others stopped crowding him. "Thank you!" Coach Randolph placed his hand on Henry's back and rushed with him to the car. Once in, the coach sped off and Henry took a deep sigh.

"Thanks, don't know what I'd do without you, Coach."

"Ah don't worry about it. Those damn reporters don't know when to back off. Truth is, you're getting too old for baseball. I wish you'd consider becoming a coach at least." Henry smiled and closed his eyes. He had his days of glory, and now that he'd finally found his family, or well, his wife did, he wanted to spend his days with them.

"Maybe I'll coach in a few years-time, but right now, I want to stop traveling and remain with my family for a while."

"I understand that, but you know you'll move around a lot less." The coach tapped his fingers on the steering wheel and sighed. "Either way, I'll still be around for whenever you're ready to start coaching again. Hell, when your son gets into baseball, he's going to need a damn good coach who knows the game."

"Well that's what you're going to be there for." Coach Randolph laughed and shook his head. Glancing into the rearview mirror, he saw some black vans behind them. He sighed and took a left turn. Henry's brow furrowed and he glanced behind, groaning frustratingly.

"We'll have to stop by the hotel and try to shake these guys."

"Great idea, and I'll hopefully get to my nephew sometime today."

"Oh yes, you're going to get there whether I have to kill myself trying." Henry rubbed his temples as the coach took another turn.

"Goddamn reporters are annoying as hell. Can't do a damned thing without everyone finding out. Make damn sure when my son gets his career started up, this shit doesn't happen."

"Got it."

Hours later, the two _finally_ managed to fly in to Seattle. Fortunately, no media was chasing after them this time. Henry wiped his watery eyes and sighed as the two drove to the Gibson residence. He was overcome with the emotional realization that he never would meet his brother, but with the finality of the fact that Jeremy, Gibby, and Guppy would be waiting for him. Even Kevin was flying in, much to his parent's chagrin, but he explained to them that as important as school was, he really wanted to see his cousin when they did. Thus, they allowed it. Megan had gone to the airport to pick up Kevin and Penny. They all arrived at the Gibson residence at the same time. When their cars pulled up, Jeremy and his family filed out onto the front lawn, Carly was with them.

Carly grinned triumphantly, proud of reuniting yet another client. Jeremy swallowed nervously and Gibby pat him on the shoulder. They'd never before imagined Henry as their father and now that he was here, of course they were scared more than ever. Guppy stood in front of them, Monica holding his hand. Jessica was holding Jeremy's hand, but Sam was not there. She'd been called back to the military base. In her stead, Melanie was there for her, along with Freddie.

Gibby pointed at Henry's car and Jeremy slowly nodded. The car's windows were tinted, so they couldn't really see Henry in there. Megan's car was in the front, she was the first to get out, along with May and Kevin. Freddie high-fived him and he looked to Jeremy, smirking slightly. Coach Randolph exited the car and leaned against the roof while Henry straightened his collar. The boys were getting more and more anxious with every passing second and were about to drag Henry out of the car themselves if he didn't hurry up and get out.

Megan walked around the car and smiled, cupping her hands together at her waist. Penny waved at Melanie, who waved at her in return. Gibby wiped the sweat from his brow and Jeremy kept his cool, while inside, he was flaring up.

Then it happened. All time ceased as all eyes fell upon Henry's door. It appeared to take eternity as the door opened and Henry's leg stepped out onto the ground. His hand gripped the top of the door, using it as support as he pulled himself from the car and stood up. Jeremy's eyes widened and his heartbeat started to increase, faster and harder. Their eyes met and Henry smiled at him as he drifted his eyes to each of his nephews.

"Jeremy, Gibby, and Guppy, I honestly can't believe this day has come." Megan stepped next to Henry while May and Kevin moved outside of them. Guppy, being the least nervous one, quickly ran to him and grabbed his leg. Henry smiled brightly and knelt down, rubbing his head. Kevin's eyes danced joyfully as he stared at the family he never knew.

"Well Jeremy, I wish I knew we were cousins…would have made high school a hell of a lot better than it was." Jeremy chuckled nervously and rubbed his head. Guppy sighed and crossed his arms.

"How come I don't have a cousin my age?" Charlotte sighed and shook her head while David chuckled. They were worried about first impressions, but it didn't seem to be a big problem. Henry smiled and rose to his feet.

"Actually, we have a thirteen year old daughter who is unable to leave the boarding school. You should be seeing her soon." Kevin nodded and placed his hand upon his dad's shoulder while looking at the others.

"Dad's retired now and we're going to _finally_ settle in one damned spot." Jeremy's eyes started to water as he and Gibby moved closer to the family. Charlotte, David, Jessica, Melanie, and Freddie all watched on with smiles as Carly folded her arms together and grinned. "This means Opal can come home to a normal school, if she wants."

"Yeah, though from what we hear, you have family in Seattle and a life going on in Las Vegas. So, where do we settle at?" Jeremy shook his head as his Uncle hugged him.

"We've got plenty of time to worry about that."

"Yeah, yeah we do." Gibby hugged them as well. Megan and May joined in while Kevin rubbed Jeremy's back. They knew about Tyler, from Jeremy telling Megan about him and from Kevin talking about the whole thing at the rodeo and the events of Father's Day. They didn't care. Jeremy wasn't worried about them accepting him, either, and neither was Gibby. They were accepted.

"Good to finally meet you, Uncle Henry."

"Good to meet you, my nephews." Freddie looked over at Carly and gave her a thankful nod. She nodded in return and glanced at her watch, it was almost time for her to have to get back and deal with her boyfriend who was currently living with her. She and Freddie hadn't talked yet, and she wanted to, but she was in too much of a rush.

After the reunion started to settle, Carly got a chance to talk to the reunited family. Henry offered her some money and continued to insist that she take it, because she deserved it. After a couple of tries to turn him down, she finally accepted and thanked him. It was nearly three hundred grand! She would have to put that in the bank. After everything was settled and she was done talking with them, her boyfriend texted her a couple times and she got in her car, speeding off as Freddie watched her go. He frowned and looked at Melanie, who closed her eyes and shook her head. Who knew when the next time they'd see her would be, if they ever did. As for Jeremy and Gibby, they just felt their lives couldn't get any better than this.

* * *

And now Jeremy finally meets them, it's a beautiful chapter. Chapter 80 begins a bit of a time flow, well somewhere in the 80s, mainly because it's setting up for the future and is like one big somewhat epilogue arc. There's still issues being ironed out and resoled. Next chapter is called "Sudden Engagements", engagements that are done on the spot, basically. You'll see and you will enjoy. Here comes another beautiful Freddie/Melanie moment along with a couple others.


	80. Sudden Engagements

Boarded

Disclaimer: I do not own iCarly!

A/N:

* * *

Chapter 80 (Sudden Engagements)

July of 2013, things were becoming more and more situated. Henry and Megan had settled in Seattle, close to Charlotte's home, and their daughter, Opal, moved up to be with them. The media had died down while Kevin and Penny celebrated their first baby, Savanna, born on May 1st. Chances were, she might be the next big time and first female major leaguer in the family. May was now living with them as well, Henry finally was able to let her. She did not forget Becky and Selena, of course, and visited them very often.

Currently, thanks to May, the family was at the nursing home, celebrating Selena's 100th birthday. Selena grinned as she held her great-great granddaughter in her arms while Jonah took a picture. Ever since Rachel's birth, he'd become picture happy. May was even showing off to her friends that she had a great-great granddaughter as well, though she was not 100 yet. Selena looked at Valerie and grinned happily. "I may have another great-great grandchild too, at this rate!" Valerie blushed and Jonah chuckled nervously, they were only twenty. Well, Valerie turned twenty in a couple weeks. They weren't sure whether or not they actually wanted to admit that they _were_ having a second child and the due date was March of 2014.

"Actually granny Selena…I am having another child." Selena gasped and clapped her hands together, laughing as her friends let out a cheer. Valerie blushed harder while Jonah placed his hand on her lower back and laughed. Jeremy raised his eyebrow and looked to Jessica. Hell, the most they were looking forward to in the next year was being the legal drinking age. Even still, they'd not fallen and had sex again. Jonah and Valerie could, though, considering they were married.

"Don't worry Valerie, sweetheart, there is no shame in it."

"I know baby, but I'd like to at least get done with college first. I mean, I've got two more years."

"And our third year of college will be practically done before our second son is born, so no problem."

"True." She kissed his cheek as May cradled Savanna in her arms, much to the annoyance of Kevin and Penny, who wanted to hold their own child. "Vanessa seems to be going about it more appropriately, she's getting married next month, and doesn't have a child yet."

"Congrats to her, of course."

"Yes." Valerie grinned brightly, pleased that her older sister was finally getting married. Sam was with Gibby and listening closely to Valerie and Jonah's conversation. Sure, she was just nineteen, but she'd dated Gibby for _years_ now. She didn't want a baby anytime soon, but she wanted a life. The military was preparing her for a career in law enforcement. One day, she wanted to be the police chief, and she was damn certain to reach that point. Gibby eyed her and smiled as he moved over to Jeremy. While everyone was distracted by the two babies and the elders, who could be considered babies too, he pulled his brother to the side, out of earshot.

"What is it, Gibby?"

"You see how Sam gets whenever somebody mentions marriage?" Jeremy slowly nodded and leaned against the wall, folding his arms together as he peered over at Sam. She was gazing at Jonah and Valerie, almost longingly. Gibby looked over and rubbed the back of his neck. "I think she would like their life." Laughing, he lowered his arm and looked at Jeremy. "I want to move on with my life, too, brother." Jeremy moved his eyes to Gibby's and shrugged.

"What's holding you back?"

"Well, I don't know. I just…I guess I want your approval first." Raising his eyebrow, Jeremy stood up straight and tightened his jaw a bit.

"Approval for what, exactly."

Gibby looked back at Sam, she looked his way and smiled momentarily before walking up to play with the baby. He looked back to Jeremy and slowly pulled out a black box. "This…" His brother's eyebrows rose as he opened the box and revealed a beautiful golden ring with a single pure diamond on the top. "She doesn't like anything too fancy, so I'm keeping it simple." He took a deep breath and slowly exhaled, closing his eyes. "I know I love her, I know we've been together for several years. Fuck, we've actually known each other nearly as long as you and Jessica have known each other."

"Yeah, but you just didn't know it." Gibby chuckled nervously at his brother's true point. He and Sam technically had only dated since they were, perhaps, fourteen. Still, it was five years. "Why do you need my approval?"

"I don't know…" He closed the box and pushed it back into his pocket, his nervousness was growing rapidly inside of him. He was almost afraid Sam might say no, but at the same time, he was confident she'd say yes. When it all came down to it, his older brother _always_ had input. Even as a child, there had never been anything he did without first questioning his older brother. "I guess it's sort of a pact among us. I come to you and you give me your opinion, your advice…"

"Okay, so you want my advice?" Gibby nodded and Jeremy placed his hands on his shoulders and looked into his eyes with a very serious look. "Go for it, don't wait for my input, just go for it. If it's what your heart says to do, if you feel in your heart that it's right, then don't wait and let opportunity slip out, do what you feel in your heart is right!" Gibby smiled at Jeremy, his eyes lighting up with certainty.

"Thanks bro, you always know what to say." Jeremy smiled and lowered his arms as Gibby turned around. He stopped and looked back momentarily. "What about you? Any thoughts on Jessica? You have known her since you guys were like four years old…" Jeremy moved his eyes to the side and shrugged, he and Jessica really hadn't thought about marriage yet. At least, not for a while.

"Give it time. Now just go and propose to your girlfriend!" Gibby laughed and ran over to Sam. Jeremy crossed his arms and moved over to Jessica, who looked at him with a raised eyebrow.

"Why do you look so smug?"

"You'll see, I just gave Gibby some life changing advice."

"Oh you have?" She turned her gaze upon Gibby as he stepped up on a table. What the hell was he doing. Sam gasped and called out for him to get down, but he refused. At least his plan to get everyone's attention worked, for now all eyes were upon him.

"Attention, I have an announcement to make!" Sam rubbed the back of her neck and looked about the room, she wasn't sure if she was embarrassed, nervous, or what. "Sam, if I can have your attention." Her eyes darted over to him as he reached into his pocket. She moved closer to the table, watching that pocketed hand closely. He slowly pulled his hand out and her eyes instantly recognized the box. The blood rushed to her cheeks as a gasp rang from everyone's lips. Jessica's eyes widened and Jeremy rubbed his chin, watching everybody's reactions.

"Gibby…what is that?" Her heart started pounding as he jumped from the table and stepped in front of her. Her eyes caressed his fingers and the box as he slowly opened it to reveal a ring. "Oh my…god…"

"Sam Puckett, we've been together for five years. We've seen a lot of life, been through a lot of life, and all throughout this hectic road, we've remained together and found love in each other's hearts…" Jessica placed her hand to her chest and wiped her eye.

"Aw, this is so adorable." Jeremy chuckled and folded his arms over his chest as she looked to him. "What did you tell him, exactly?"

"To follow his heart."

"Good advice." Gibby's eyes were locked onto Sam's, which made her want to faint on the spot as it was. It was like he was reading her mind, like he knew she wanted this.

"Sam, you would make me a very happy man if you would be my wife."

"Oh god Gibby, what the hell took you so long...yes, _yes_ I will marry you!" She threw her arms around his neck and kissed him passionately. Jessica cupped her lips and cheered. She was surprised Sam didn't ask her about her opinion, but the girl most likely knew she would approve of Gibby no matter what. Even Jonah was happy, despite having had to take his grandfather off life support just days ago, this was the happiest news he'd had. Many of the elders were passing away, but many of the younger were starting new lives.

Months later, Freddie and Melanie were walking through the park on a snowy December afternoon. Melanie had her arms around his arm while he looked up into the sky. They took their steps in a somber silence, but neither cried, for they saw this moment coming. They mourned inside, talked about it briefly, but that was it. Arian had passed away November 16th, and Marissa followed shortly afterwards on December 1st, the cirrhosis had finally caught up with her. There were only five more days until Christmas, and they intended to try and celebrate in good spirits. There was, for them, some good news in the fact that Mason and Lindsey had managed to begin dating again. They were willing to dare the long distance relationship, they just couldn't go without each other, and when Marissa passed away, Mason really needed someone. Lindsey was there.

"She's with dad now, I guess." Melanie nodded at Freddie as he moved his gaze directly in front of him. The coat he wore didn't seem to do much good for the cold winter wind, although strange as it was, Melanie wasn't cold at all. "I would have at least wanted her to be alive for…" He closed his eyes and sighed as Melanie lifted her eyebrows up and stared curiously at him.

"What is it, Freddie?"

"Nothing to worry about, I assure you." He smiled lightly as Melanie shrugged. In other good news, Kendal finally contacted Duke, her father, and she moved in with him for a while. She and Mitchel were getting really serious, Alison and Vinson were engaged. Freddie chuckled and slowly shook his head, things were getting heavy as everybody began moving on with their lives. Even Spencer and Sasha had a baby all the way back in May, a girl by the name of Sara. He wasn't sure how Carly's relationship with Griffin was going, but she was growing herself. Sam and Gibby were going to get married in January. Hell, even Candice was getting on with her life. "It's funny, I never expected I might be one of the last ones…" Melanie raised her eyebrow and placed her hands upon her hips, gazing suspiciously at Freddie.

"Okay Freddie Benson, something is wrong and you're not telling me. What's going on with you." Freddie smirked slightly and turned to her. He admired the soft white crystals the snow was making in her hair and he smoothly groomed her hair back. She blushed as he caressed her warm cheek. "Freddie?

"God I love you, Melanie. Sometimes I wonder if it may be too soon…"

"W-What might be too soon?" She overlapped her jacket and held his gaze. He was making her nervous, she didn't like feeling nervous.

"However, I think it isn't too soon. I think it's been long enough. I know what I want in my life, I know where I want to go, and I know who I want to share it all with."

"Share it with?"

"The sadness, the joy, the pain, the pleasures…everything…" Melanie's eyes widened as her arms slowly lowered. Her lips parted and she pondered his words. What was he saying? "We've been together two years, sure, but I feel I've known you all my life." Melanie's heart started pounding and her body heated up. Her eyes continued to grow as Freddie lowered himself to one knee. He ignored the fact that what he just knelt in was wet and mushy, and he continued what he wanted to say to her. "Something I've contemplated for some time now…" Reaching into his jacket pocket, he pulled out a red velvet box and opened it. Melanie gasped when she spotted a white gold ring with two diamonds in the center. "Melanie Puckett, I love you. I want to share my life with you, I want you to share your life with me. I want us to grow old together. Please, tell me you will accept and you will be my bride?"

"I-I-I don't know what to say. Freddie, I…" This was almost too good to be true. He amazed her in every way, he treated her right and he made her happy. She loved him, more than anything she loved him. She wanted to share her life with him, she honestly did. She hardly even had to think about her answer, and besides, what would Sam say? Sam would probably tell her to say yes. Freddie had shown his loyalty and love to her time after time. There was nothing that said she couldn't trust this man with her life, that she couldn't trust him to make her happy.

Their pasts were hardly any trouble, and things were beginning to let up. Everyone was calming down, everything else was relaxed. No more stresses, no more darkness, no more fear. Now might just be more of a perfect time than any. She was so still that the snow could potentially cover her up without worry of her shaking it off. She smiled happily and nodded her eyes, the tears threatening the corners. "Freddie, of course I will marry you. I love you more than anything! But, let me call Sam and tell her the news!"

"Of course!" He stood up, extremely happy with her answer. He felt only slightly sad, but extremely thrilled she had so many people to call. He only had Jonah and Kevin, but that was fine to him. They were still family. "I love you, Mel."

"I love you!" She wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him deeply. This was right, this was the best feeling in the world. There was no doubt in her mind that he was the one for her. Damn life was good, so good. Jessica and Sam were going to be thrilled.

* * *

Melanie and Freddie, Sam and Gibby, now engaged to get married. We won't be seeing their weddings necessarily, too many important things that happen outside the weddings. I don't like doing weddings very much, they're always the same, basically. Okay now catch up, you slackers you, haha. The next chapter is entitled "Breaking Up". Now I can only imagine the kind of reaction _that_ will gauge XD *Evil grin*


	81. Breaking Up

Boarded

Disclaimer: I do not own iCarly!

A/N:

* * *

Chapter 81 (Breaking Up)

May 22, Carly sat at her desk with her fingers pressed tightly together and the tips of her fingers resting on her forehead. The lights were out, minus the lamp sitting at the corner of her desk, shining on the papers in front of her. Her eyes were closed and her thoughts were running. She didn't want to admit that over the period of time, she kept up with everybody. Not in a stalker type way, but in a curious way. Though it couldn't be helped, since where Jeremy's family was concerned and where Kendal was concerned, she had an obligation, a duty in her eyes, to check in periodically and see how things were going for them. She definitely felt a sense of pride in the things that she had done, a good thing as it were, to feel pride towards one's own work.

She talked with Jeremy about his turning twenty one and he said he was waiting for Jessica to turn twenty one before they had their first legal drinks together. She would on May 30th. Of course, there was also the question of that Father-Son drink, John and David actually wagered on which one would be the one to have that first drink with him. He decided on both, but would also keep a photo of his birth father with him. Valerie had her second baby, Ryan, in March. Her older sister was married and pregnant with a child of her own. Yes, life was going well for them so far. The sad thing for Jeremy and his family was May had passed away in April, at a ripe old age of 100.

Now, where was she currently located in her life? She sighed as she placed her hands upon her desk and stared at a photograph of Spencer, Sasha, and Sara. They had a great life now and had moved from the Bushwell apartments and into a family home in upper Seattle. Their own father was no longer around, having passed away overseas. It didn't help that the fact that he was always away was one reason that Carly had a case of uncertain identity throughout high school. The other, her mother had died in the September 11th attacks way back in 2001.

She sighed and took a pen, then began doing some of her paperwork. She missed the days of iCarly, but it was true they had grown out of that. She had to watch and re-watch that final broadcast several times over the years, and wasn't too happy about the things she had seen. She finally had just decided to erase it all, every broadcast of iCarly, to keep up professional appearances at least. She wanted her bosses to take her as seriously as she took her work. She did save them to tapes and put them away in some safety deposit box. She wasn't going to look back very often.

Sam and Melanie were getting married today, go figure the twins set their wedding day on the same time. It seemed appropriate. Sam was in with the law enforcement now, an actual full time police officer, part time student. Melanie was starting her path into kindergarten education. Jonah was studying towards his career as a doctor and was always preparing for medical school. Valerie was working with a chain of restaurants, and would enjoy her last year of college. She may advance into a major, though. Freddie, Kevin, and Jeremy were all ready to enter the world of baseball, so long as they didn't have to travel too much. Jessica was constantly making Catherine proud, her mentor was simply waiting for her to finish up school so she could snatch her up and put her on the force for real. In short, Jessica was going to get her dream come true. But where was Carly going? She placed her hands in her hair and sighed softly. Well, she knew what she wanted to do now, but whatever she did she would continue to reunite families. As for her actual career, she wanted to be a lawyer. Perhaps, a family lawyer, rather than a criminal lawyer like her brother. Law school was going to be hell to get into, though.

The elevator doors opened and Carly glanced up sharply from her desk. Her body tensed, but relaxed when she saw it was Brad. His thumbs were hooked into his pockets and his lips were curled in a pleasant smile. He lifted his hand up and waved to her. She lowered her hands and smiled at him as she grabbed her pen. As he made his way to the desk, he glanced at the papers and sighed. "How much do you have to fill out there, Carly?"

"I'm almost done, actually." Brad nodded as he watched her lift the top page up and stare curiously at the second page for a second, then set it down. "A lot of legal stuff in here, so I have to be pretty careful as to what I sign and where…" He raised his eyebrows as she clicked her tongue and shook her head, she could use a break. "Okay, so did you see Griffin when you came in? Is he still passed out on the couch with a bottle of soda in his hand?"

"Isn't that always the case?" His voice fell flat as he moved over to the couch and Carly eyed him. "I mean, he's an oaf, but he's your oaf. I don't care what anyone says about him, he's _still_ an oaf." She laughed heartily as Brad shrugged his shoulders. "I'm just saying." He had a point, Griffin was practically a loser. Hell, it seemed like everyone was getting a life while he remained stoic. "All he wants to do is clean his motorcycle, which looks like crap, but I digress, I won't insult your boyfriend." Carly chuckled and lifted her hand.

"I appreciate that, but it's not necessary." She acknowledged that Griffin was a 'loser' by almost everyone's standards who knew the guy. Her brother was perhaps the most blunt in telling her that she could do better, Sasha often wondered what it was that she saw in the guy. "Truthfully, Brad?" Brad tapped the couch lightly and looked to her curiously. "I don't honestly know what it is I see in him. I mean, it used to be…well…" She sighed and moved from the desk over to the couch next to her friend. "Years ago, he seemed like such a good catch. Now, I'm lucky if he can catch."

"What does that mean?" She shook her head and leaned against the couch, staring straight ahead at the wall.

"Anything at all…I might toss him something and he doesn't even try to grab it. Or even hints that I might be getting _annoyed_ with his actions. Hell, talking to him is futile, so don't even suggest that."

"Okay, I won't." He laughed and pat her on the shoulder. She looked to his eyes as he smiled at her. She knew he stayed out of her relationship stuff and didn't give her unsolicited 'advice' that told her what to do. He didn't want there to be any reason for his being the cause of either messing up a good thing or separating a bad thing. She needed to make that decision on her own. "Just follow what you feel is right, and it will all work out in the long run."

"You think so?"

"I don't know, it's always worked for me." She laughed and brushed her hair over her shoulder. Brad had a point, following what one felt was right really always seemed to work out for the best. "You started dating Griffin, you were having a bit of an identity crises, a case of 'who am I?' So you decided to go crazy and have fun, now you're an adult and you're in college figuring out your life, where's Griffin?" She frowned and slowly shook her head.

"A miserable place with no real determination for life…I mean he doesn't even have to go to college to have _something_, and yet he does nothing."

"Doesn't even work…"

"Don't remind me. At least you have a job."

"Aw but a computer programmer is nothing compared to what you do for a living. You're like the queen of bringing families together." He laughed and she playfully shoved him.

"Yeah well you know I love what I do."

"Do what you love and love what you do, that's what I always say."

"Sounds like something off a fortune cookie…" Brad tapped his chin and smirked.

"Would you like me to grab my stash of fortune cookies and make sure?" She laughed again as he rose to his feet. She grabbed the back of his shirt and he looked back. She looked at him as if to ask where he was going, considering she didn't really want him to go. "What's up?"

"Stay with me for a bit, I've been doing a lot of thinking lately…"

"Oh?" Carly stood up and began to pace the room, slowly, but letting her thoughts out. He rubbed his chin and she stopped, throwing her hands into the air.

"He does nothing, he always asks me to do stuff for him, can't get his lazy ass up to do anything. So…I think…yeah, I'm going to break up with him. I need growth in my life, I need to be able to go where I want in life without anything holding me back, and truthfully…Griffin is not the best thing in my life for that."

"I understand." She closed her eyes and slowly exhaled.

"Spencer's right, Griffin is just…" She didn't want to say he was a leech, but there really was no way to describe how he was. Brad crossed his arms over as she scratched at the side of her head. "I don't know, Brad. I think those days are just…"

"Those crazy days are over?"

"Yeah, that's what I was thinking. All he does is clean his motorcycle and constantly act like life's a party, let's not forget the fact that…well, it's not embarrassing that he _collects_ the stuffed toys…"

"He plays with them?"

"Yeah, that's kind of, you know, childish…" She wanted Brad to hang around because she needed someone there to fall back on. It was going to be hard as hell to separate from Griffin, and she'd been thinking about it for some time. "I'm just a bit worried because…"

"What? You're worried that you're going to break down? You've been with him for years, so you're entitled to cry." She smiled as he walked towards her and looked into his eyes. How was it he always knew how she was feeling? Not only that, but he always seemed to know what to say to make her feel better, to feel more confident about herself. Griffin never did any of that. "I'll be right here with you when you're going to do it." He paused for a brief moment and raised his eyebrow. "Are you thinking of doing it now?" She closed her eyes and groaned, wondering if it was too soon? No, she had been thinking about this for months now, just letting it all build. She had to move on with her life, she couldn't babysit Griffin any longer.

"Yes…"

"Then I am here for you." She nodded and led him to the stairs. She could practically hear Griffin's snoring from the front room! Brad looked at her as she rolled her eyes, she wasn't pulling back from this. Her face grew determined and bold as she marched down the steps and stopped behind the couch. Brad attempted to shake Griffin awake, but it was to no avail. "The dude isn't waking up…"

"Figures." He was always a hard sleeper, and more often than not, if he wasn't all the way asleep but trying to, he would ignore _any_ outside distractions. "Try again." Brad nodded and continued to try and shake Griffin awake. The man swatted at his arm and rolled over, snoring louder. Brad narrowed his eyes and Carly groaned with frustration. "Okay, here's how we're going to wake this lazy slob!" She moved to the kitchen, grabbed a glass and started filling it with ice cold water. Brad raised his eyebrows and watched her moving like a fire towards Griffin. "Hey Griffin, how about you wake your ass up!" When he didn't budge, she pressed her lips together and poured the ice cold water onto Griffin's crotch. Brad cringed as Griffin shot up.

"What the hell?" Griffin shivered as he jumped off the couch and looked at Carly with surprise. "What are you doing! What if that stains and you'd have to clean it up?"

"Well guess what, it'd be you cleaning it, but fortunately it's water." Her voice was flat and dry, she was not going to beat around the bush. She wasn't normally harsh, but it was the only way it would happen with him. "Griffin, we're through…"

"W-What?" He paled and slowly shook his head with disbelief. He heard her wrong, that's what it was, he definitely heard her wrong. "We've had so many good times."

"Griffin…" She closed her eyes and folded her arms across her chest. She didn't know exactly how to let him down easy. She wanted to, but she couldn't. "You don't have a job, all you do is sleep, eat, and sit on that couch during the day. When you don't do that, you only polish your motorcycle."

"It's got to stay clean." She placed her hands on her hips and rolled her eyes.

"Yeah, I'm sure it does. Let's not forget that you treat me like I'm your _maid_, that's repulsive!" He looked down guiltily and shook his head.

"I can change!" He fell to his knees and clasped his hands together, he didn't want to lose her. He couldn't lose her, she was literally the only thing he had going for him. Carly exhaled and looked him in the eye, not faltering with her determination.

"People don't change that easily. I've given you years to clean up your act, and you've done _nothing_ to do so. As of right now, I want you out of my apartment. You have a week to gather your things before I donate them to the children's funds…" Griffin paled and quickly jumped up, he _definitely_ couldn't lose his babies, those were the most important thing in the world to him.

"You wouldn't do that, would you? So cruel…" She rolled her eyes and Brad snickered from behind him. She inhaled sharply and glared into his eyes.

"Go. I need someone in my life that will actually hinder my growth, you are not a healthy addition. Now please leave, I'd rather not see you again for a while…I will be sure to package your things and mail them to you." She placed her hand to her forehead, her heart was pounding as fast as her body was trembling. She was fighting back her tears, and Brad could tell she was close to breaking.

"But you just said-"

"I know what I said!" She lowered her arm and glared at him, her eyes glazed over. "I changed my mind. I can't stand to have you around me because…" Well it hurt. She could only think of the past, of the crazy fun they always had together and of all the parties. Those days ended for her, but not for him. He reminded her of those days, and she couldn't have that. She had to have focus in her life. "I just can't handle it. I'll send your stuff to your mother's house or something, okay? Now just go, please."

"Carly?"

"Go…Brad will show you the door…" Griffin looked helplessly at Brad as he placed his hand upon the man's shoulder.

"I'm sorry bro." Carly turned around and Brad walked Griffin to the door, opening it and closing it after him. He turned around and frowned at Carly. Walking to her, she turned to him and fell into his arms, tears leaving her eyes as she began to sob. He closed his eyes and hugged her close, rubbing her back gently. "You're okay. You did the right thing, you did what's best for you."

"Then why doesn't it _feel_ that way?"

"Because you just broke up with the guy…The feeling will pass…"

"It doesn't feel like that."

"I know. I want you to know that I'm proud of you, Spencer would be proud of you too." She sobbed harder and clutched his shirt in her hands.

"I have to have focus in my life, Brad. I have to…I can't be depressed, I have to keep busy. My mom, my dad, they…I have to keep busy." He knew that their deaths were really hard on her and that whenever she wasn't as 'focused' on life, her mind would slip to them. When depressed, her mind would slip to them, and it made things harder for her. He placed his chin on the top of her head and held her close.

"It's going to be okay. Give it some time, Carly." She buried her face into his shirt as he looked towards one of the bedrooms. He would help her package Griffin's things. It would take some time for her to get over him, but he would be there as long as she needed him. "What do you say we go drive to Spencer's? Maybe they can cheer you up?" She lifted her head up and sniffed, wiping her eyes as he smiled slightly at her.

"Yeah, that's a good idea…Just give me a few minutes to…regain…my composure." He nodded again and continued to hold her as she cried onto his shirt. He'd give her as much time as she needed. He felt bad for Griffin, but in truth, it had to be done. Carly felt it was for the best, Brad was simply happy for her doing what she felt was best for herself. Now, maybe she could move on with her life.

* * *

It's a somewhat bittersweet chapter, but shows how much Carly has grown over time. She's starting to realize her place in this great big world.


	82. Rescue Mission

Boarded

Disclaimer: I do not own iCarly!

A/N:

* * *

Chapter 82 (Rescue Missions)

October of 2015, Jeremy was running through the African rain forest on a rescue mission given to him by General Trent. Sam was working on the inside, giving him details to how many people were there, how to infiltrate, and so forth, and now that the mission was under way, she'd been removed from there and was in the field with him. "We have to go on all these missions and _you're_ able to be visited by your husband while I can't even see my girlfriend? Why is that?" Sam smirked and shrugged as she hid in the shrubs with him.

"It's allowed because General Trent is my uncle. Oh, _and_ I'm pregnant." Jeremy rolled his eyes and sighed as he eyed the enemy base. Orders were simply to get inside, retrieve the agent and scientist inside, then get out. At approximately 0300 hours, the enemy base would be blown. This would be Sam's final mission before she was to return home, due to her pregnancy. Jeremy was going to be stuck doing missions for another year, not that he was complaining. Although Jessica was worried about him and constantly sending him letters. She prayed her dad wasn't being too hard on them. If by too hard meant making him do 1200 pushups and Sam, 800 a day, then yes, he was being 'too hard' on them. She smirked at him and turned the corner of her lip upwards. "Oh but I am definitely happy about this."

"Yeah, but I bet your uncle isn't too thrilled with Gibby getting you pregnant while you were doing your missions." She chuckled and shrugged her shoulders. What could she say? It was pure chance that it happened. After all, she hadn't seen her husband in nearly a year, she and Jeremy were pulled into this in late 2014. Jeremy aimed his sniper gun towards the base, scaling for any enemy. He didn't think he had what it takes to kill. He'd been using dummies all this time, he never took a human life before he started the missions. Neither had Sam. General Trent gave them orders, because of this, to not fire unless it was absolutely necessary. At least, during the year they were out in the fields, they'd become experienced, but were both slightly disgusted whenever they had to take a life.

"Uncle John gave Gibby the riot act, but all in all…he _is_ my husband, so it's not against any of his moral codes that he and I had sex." No, the only thing that upset John was the fact that they didn't use safety and take into consideration that Sam _still_ was on her missions. Now he had to pull her out and either find a replacement or send Jeremy on the missions alone. "I can't say I am complaining about anything, I've never quite been through the African rain forest before. I _love_ it here!" Jeremy grinned and nodded his agreement.

"The great thing about being in the military…you get to see exotic animals and whatnot."

"Right." Sam clicked her semi automatic and narrowed her eyes. "All right, so it's 0100 hours and the guards outside the door should be getting their shipments right about now." Jeremy turned his sniper to the back door where two guards were waving something in. He narrowed his eyes as a truck started backing up. "They won't watch the driver, when those two start loading everything inside, take the driver out and leave him in a seated position."

"How the hell…okay…" There was no time to question anything. Sam lifted her binoculars to her eyes and watched the two guards open the back of the armored truck. They grinned and made their way inside for payment. Jeremy zoomed in to where the man was sitting. There was an object on the dashboard that could prove fatal if it exploded. He cocked his gun and fired a shot into it, causing it to send lethal glass shards into the man's head. The man's body convulsed for a second, then stopped in seated position. Jeremy closed his eyes and he pushed away a momentary flip of his stomach. Sam lowered her binoculars and took a deep breath.

"Okay…now we wait. One of the men will come out with payment. Take him out when he shuts that door. After that, the other guard is supposed to come out and start unloading the boxes with a forklift. Take him out and then we can advance." Jeremy nodded and watched the door closely. "I've got a position already secured for me in the police force when I get back…pretty high position."

"That's good, I'm happy for you."

"Thanks." She sighed and watched the door for a minute before the first guard came out. When he closed the door, she swallowed hard as she watched him take his final steps around the truck. Then the blood flew, splattering on the side of the truck closest to them, his body jerking back and slumping to the ground. "Jesus…"

"You're going on the police force, so you better get used to this."

"I know, but hopefully I won't have to use lethal force too much." He nodded and watched the door. The second guard came out with a forklift and started moving towards the back end of the truck. He clearly did not see his partner lying dead on the ground. Once he pushed into the truck, Sam snapped her fingers. Jeremy closed his eyes and fired a shot into the man, killing him.

"Okay, let's move out." Sam had to remember that he was an officer while she was an enlisted, mainly because he went to college first. She couldn't order him and she had to follow his orders, she wasn't too thrilled with the idea of following anyone else's orders, but she could get used to it. They never called each other 'Private' or 'Lieutenant' when in private. However in the company of higher ups, they were required to.

The two rushed to the building and pressed their backs against the wall, peering at the closed door. They met each other's eyes. She nodded, he nodded in return, and then kicked the door in. Sam peered in briefly, then moved back, her heart racing. "Okay bad idea."

"What?"

"There were about five or six guards that saw that. They're coming toward us with guns." Jeremy nodded and clicked his gun, Sam did the same. "As a famous actor of mine used to say…hasta la vista, baby!" Jeremy chuckled as he and Sam stepped in the doorway and opened fire. The six men shouted as they were riddled with bullets before they could return fire. When the smoke cleared, the two panted heavily and looked at each other briskly. Thankfully John wasn't going to put them through anymore mandatory missions again after these, unless there were any wars they'd be forced to enter into. "Okay, let's try and ignore the bodies on the ground and try not to kill anyone else if it can be avoided."

"Didn't you say at this time everyone that should be in this base during the day hours ought to be gone?"

"Yes, it's only a few men that still remain to collect the nightly drug shipments." There should be about eight more people left somewhere inside, so if killing those men could be avoided, then that would be what they would aim for.

They slowly made their ways through the building, hugging the walls and making sure the rooms were clear to pass. They came to a kitchen and peered in to see one man asleep in a chair and a second man slowly walking around the table. Jeremy placed a finger to his lips and watched closely to see if the man would walk away. After some amount of time, the man shook the sleeping man awake and led him out of the room. "Okay, let's go." Sam nodded as she followed him into the kitchen, then hugged the other wall, peering around the corner. She growled as she turned back to Jeremy, who raised a concerned eyebrow. "What's the matter?"

"The two men are standing guard at the entrance to the hallway and there's no way around them."

"Fuck." The second they step into sight, the men would shoot them. There was nothing they could do to avoid killing the two. Sam listened to the conversation between the two men and frowned.

"The one who was awake is informing the sleeper that an intrusion was made, so we need to be on high alert." Go figure, that gunfire earlier possibly alerted everyone to them. "So, what do we do?"

"We have to get past them and get that scientist and agent out." Sam nodded as she turned the corner. Jeremy closed his eyes as he heard two gunshots, then felt Sam nudge him. She'd taken the men out. He quickly turned around the corner and the two checked the hallway before entering. Six more men were possibly scouring the building. They didn't have much time left. "We may have to make a break for it."

"Well, if you think that's best…I doubt it would be in our best interest." She checked her watch and groaned, they only had thirty minutes to get the men and get out of there. "Shit, you're right, let's make a run for it." Jeremy nodded as the two rushed down the long hallway. Upon running, one hostile stepped into view. Jeremy released his gun, letting the strap catch it, and grabbed the man's head, snapping his neck. "Ouch…"

"Yeah I know, but we don't have a lot of time to mess around, so yeah…" Two more men were around the corner, Sam stopped running and swept them with her gun. They continued their run and leapt over the bodies, three more men were somewhere in the building, so they continued to be on high alert. As they neared a corner, they stopped and Sam pulled out a large compact mirror. She looked around the corner and cursed, the three men were in the room with the scientist and special agent. Well, one man was standing guard outside. "They're expecting us?"

"Yeah…"

"So how do we do this?"

"Well if we rush in, we risk killing the people we need to rescue. So, is there anything we could use as a lure?" Sam tapped her chin and tried desperately to think of anything that could be deemed a distraction. Smirking, she cupped her mouth and began to throw her voice, making bird noises. Jeremy raised his eyebrows as the guard at the door soon gathered his attention.

"Hey you guys hear that? It's a bird."

"Stay where you are…"

"Hold on, I want to see this…" The guard began walking off and the two men shouted at him in vain. Once he rounded the corner, he turned his eyes to Sam, who smirked at him. "Hey, who are-" Just then a shadow fell over him and he slowly looked back to see Jeremy. He started to shout, but Jeremy grabbed his head and cracked his neck. The man fell to the ground and Sam peered around the corner.

"Okay, one of the guys is coming to check on him now." Jeremy nodded and pressed his back against the opposite wall. When the man rounded the corner, he met Sam's eyes and pulled his gun. Sam fired a shot and the man crumpled to the ground. "Jesus, I guess it was unavoidable. No time for that, let's get in." Jeremy nodded as Sam looked into the mirror. The man was looking away. She motioned for Jeremy, who stepped into sight and aimed at the man. The second the man turned his head up, Jeremy fired a shot and struck him down.

"Okay, it's clear. Let's move in!" The two ran into the room and worked to untie the scientist and agent from their chairs. The men were at least in their forties. The scientist looked up and smiled coyly at them.

"Wow, they sent in a couple fresh soldiers in. You'd think they'd send more seasoned soldiers in. Bet if they did…" Sam and Jeremy stared blankly at each other and Sam tugged on the scientist's bindings. "Ouch!"

"Oops."

"Damn that hurt…who's your commanding officer?" Sam smirked and closed her eyes as Jeremy chuckled.

"General Trent, my _uncle_." The agent laughed and the scientist quickly shut up, knowing better than to question that man or who that man sent in. "So you better appreciate the fact that we came to save your sorry ass and just went through hell. I don't take any crap, you got that? I am three to four months pregnant and this is my last mission before I'm sent home, so it would be inadvisable for you to mess with me. Got that?"

"Got it! Thanks for coming after us."

"You're welcome, now let's go." The group ran through the building, the bombs on the building was soon to go off. Sam and Jeremy glanced at each other with their eyes and smirked as they exited the building with the scientist and agent in tow. Simultaneously, they jumped over a log and threw themselves to the ground as the building exploded and flames shot into the air. Panting, the two pushed up on their hands and looked at the building. Their eyes drifted to each other and they chuckled. "Well Jeremy, guess I'll be seeing you later…"

"Yeah, I'll see you in about a year. Are you sure you didn't plan that pregnancy as an escape plan?"

"Hah. Hell no." After a few minutes of gaining their composure, they cut through the jungle in search of the extraction site. Once there, they were lifted by helicopter and flown to the base where General Trent awaited them along with Gibby. After a few hours and getting cleaned up, Sam left with her husband while Jeremy stayed, knowing he only had a week or two before his next mission. He couldn't wait to get back to the country and get started in baseball like his cousin. As for Freddie, he was considering other things besides baseball, still having a passion for it, but after seeing what Henry had to go through, he wanted something else.

* * *

Hopefully you've liked this chapter, great teamwork shown by Jeremy and Sam! This could be good for the future, who knows. Sam may have gotten the "easy" way out of doing these missions, but you can almost bet General Trent will put her back in the field eventually.


	83. His Sudden Decision

Boarded

Disclaimer: I do not own iCarly!

A/N:

* * *

Chapter 83 (His Sudden Decision)

Finally, on Jessica's 23rd birthday, in 2016, Jeremy and General Trent returned home. She had much to tell him! He sat on the couch as she told him everything he had missed. Freddie and Melanie had a baby boy, Derek, who'd been born in January. Sam and Gibby were proud parents of their son, Max, born in on the first of May. Valerie's sister Veronica was now married and Gibby was rising in ranks of boxing, although somewhat wanting to join the police force like Sam. It was all very exciting news and Jeremy honestly did wish he'd been there for the majority of it. Hell, even Kevin and Freddie were ahead of him where baseball was concerned. However, General Trent had managed to successfully recruit Freddie, so at some point of time, Freddie would have to choose between the military career or baseball.

"Damn, I can't believe I missed so much in such a small amount of time." Jessica nodded and sat next to him. She placed her hand upon his chest and eyed his muscles with a particular longing. He smirked slightly and puffed his chest out a bit. "What? You missed your eye candy?" She blushed and playfully smacked his chest.

"That is so not funny!" He laughed and placed his hand softly around hers. He lifted her hand up and kissed it. "I just haven't seen you in a long time, I was a bit worried my Dad would have decied to keep you longer."

"I don't think I would have let that happen."

"I don't think you would have had a choice." Jeremy thought on this and realized how true of a statement that was. If the General decided on him being there longer, then his word was law. There would have been no way out of that. "So...Jeremy..." He leaned back and raised his eyebrow as she gently slid her fingers down his chest. She'd missed his feeling, his touch, and wanted him to hold her, to love her. "What would you say if I said I wanted to kiss you?"

"I'd say...okay then." He smirked as he embraced her and pulled her close, breathing in her luscious scent. Thankfully General Trent wouldn't keep him away from her so often, it would just be that one time. "Your dad said that unless there's a war being fought, he won't pull me overseas without warning like that again."

"Thank god!" She laughed lightly and gazed into his eyes, her breathing slowed immensely as he moved closer to her, unable to resist her. How could they resist such a pull to each other, such a powerful pull that they didn't even want to pull away if they could. "So what are you going to do?"

"Well..." Her eyebrows rose as he lifted her arm and started to kiss her hand. She swooned while he slowly kissed up towards her shoulder. She breathed in and waved her hand in front of her face, she was beginning to sweat. My god, this was not helping matters, it just made him more irresistable to her.

"Jeremy, you shouldn't do that unless you intend to drive me nuts…" He smirked lightly as he gently caressed her other arm with his hand and softly kissed the top of her shoulder.

"Who says I _don't_ want that." She blushed harder and moaned lightly as he reached the side of her neck. She tilted her head to the right and pulled her hair back as he sucked in. Her breath hitched and her teeth rapidly hit each other. Why resist, though? She craved him, she'd gone on too long, she didn't want to resist.

-THIS IS THE MATURE PART OF THE CHAPTER, I'LL MARK THE END OF IT FOR THOSE WISHING TO AVOID IT. THEY DO _NOT_ GO ALL THE WAY, THOUGH THEY DO COME CLOSE.-

"Oh god." He lifted his head up and she moaned as her lips crashed into his. She wrapped her arms around his neck and toyed with the back collar of his shirt with her fingers while deepening her kiss. He placed his hands on her sides as she straddled his waist and began grinding her hips slowly against his, causing him to grunt. She pulled her lips from his and tilted her head back, letting out a loud moan as his clothed crotch pressed against hers. It hurt, but yet, felt so damn good. There was always so much temptation that they didn't know what it was that stopped them from actually giving in and having sex. They still only did it one time, and that was at the barn all the way back in 2011. "Jeremy, it…really?" She looked at him and reached down, her eyes widening and a blush instantly shooting to her cheeks. "You have got to be joking…" She smirked slyly and he raised his eyebrows as her eyes met his. "You really must have missed me. Was it as much as I missed you?"

"Oh yes." She giggled and he flipped her onto her back. "I love when you giggle, it is so incredibly cute." She sighed contently as she felt his strong hands on her body. He pressed against her and she wrapped her legs around his waist while tangling her fingers together and placing her palms on the back of his neck. He kissed her roughly and she moaned out wildly as he brushed his groin against hers, sending a certain, pleasurable shockwave throughout her body. She parted lips and her scream echoed throughout the room. They swore not to have sex till they were married, so they weren't going to go that far. Fortunately over the years of practice and pushing their limit, they knew their exact breaking point before temptation took hold of them. They were going to make damn sure they waited until the exact right moment and were not going to have unplanned, unmarried intercourse.

"It feels so good…" She felt his firm hands reach beneath her shirt and licked her lips. His hands cupped her breast and squeezed firmly, causing her to gasp out. His other hand slipped into her pants and started to rub against her spot. She closed her eyes and kissed him fiercely, screaming into his mouth at the touch. She used to feel ashamed about being so vocal during the heavy petting, but she had gotten over it. Even now, she was more vocal than usual because it had been so long since she'd felt his touch. She whimpered and pulled away from him, falling flat on the couch, panting heavily. He removed his hands and placed them on her thighs, rubbing slightly, slowly guiding his thumbs closer to the point where her soft pants met in the middle. She bit her lower lip and moaned as the sensation of his touch rushed through her and the anticipation of his fingers stirred a hot sensation inside of her. She couldn't take it anymore and lifted her hip upwards. Jeremy took the hint and slowly pulled her pants down to her ankles. Her bare legs shivered as he moved his eyes to her.

"It's been a long time…" She nodded and swallowed hard as he lowered his lips to her bare, shaven skin. She placed her hands on the back of his head and clenched her eyes shut, gasping sharply and digging her nails into his hair when his tongue brushed over her sensitive spot.

"Oh god! P-Please..." She moved her chest forward and her moaning intensified as he began moving his tongue rapidly along her sweet middle. "Don't stop!" Her breathing hitched and she cried out as her heart began to pound heavily against her skin. She bit her lip and moved her tongue back, trying to hold back, but it was becoming increasingly difficult to do so. She swayed her hips unconsciously with his movement and tightened her grip on his thick hair. Jeremy smirked and lifted his head away, causing Jessica to cry out and relax her hips, gazing longingly into his eyes. Her chest moved up and down as he slowly moved up her body like a lion crawling ever closer to its prey. His eyes remained locked with hers and her body grew hotter, flames licked every inch of her. She let out a hollow breath as Jeremy cupped her cheek with his hand and kissed her passionately.

He placed his index and middle fingers onto her wet vagina and teased it. He pulled his head back and looked into her eyes and she let out a soft whimper. She moved her hands to the back of the couch and bit her lip as she nodded her approval. "Okay…" He slowly pushed his fingers in and she arched her back, stifling her moan. He kissed her lips wildly and she moaned into his mouth as he pushed his fingers wholly in. As he searched her, he found the elusive g-spot and began to rub it. Jessica's eyes shot open as the electric sensation shot through her sharply with each scrape. She fell back from him and moaned out.

"How? Oh my god!" Most men couldn't even find that on a woman, and yet he found it so easily? Then again, it wasn't a secret they hadn't talked about, she'd just forgot about telling him the location before. She groaned and moved her hips with his fingers. "I can't believe you honestly…remembered…where to lo-Ah!"

"Well I wouldn't want to forget something like that." He pulled his fingers from her and kissed her again. She moaned and they both pulled each other's shirts off. Jeremy let her unhook her bra and lifted his eyebrows in awe of her breasts. She gazed at his magnificent chest and placed the tips of her fingers to the center of his torso, pushing forward. He willingly moved backwards and she leaned forward, kissing his chest with her lips and slowly tracing her tongue down the center. He closed his eyes and breathed in as she drew closer to his waistline. He felt her unbuckle his jeans and peered down as she pulled his pants down and guided his member through the hole in his boxers. "Jessica?"

"Don't worry, I just…" She blushed as she gazed at it, they actually had only gone this far once before. Never had it been exposed, for it was too tempting for them. She placed her hand firmly around it and her eyes widened. "So firm…" She slowly guided her hand up and down, gently trailing her fingers along the path her palm moved. In a daring and bold move, she moved her lips into oval form and moved closer. Jeremy's eyes widened and he grunted as she moved down, starting off slow.

"Holy sh…" He clenched his hands as Jessica started to slowly increase her speed. Now this might be going too far, he wasn't sure, but if she continued, they might not be able to stop. She clutched him tightly and twisted her mouth around, now spiraling up and down. His eyes widened and he felt his hip rising up. He knew this was her first time doing this, so he was definitely surprised that she was this good. It was not long, a few minutes only, before his body couldn't handle the strain any longer and he was beginning to release. "Jessica! I'm…" He moaned and her eyes widened as she quickly pulled away and let it escape out onto his boxers. A close call, but she was not ready to taste any of that. Her mom always said it wasn't bad, but she wasn't comfortable enough with it yet.

Jessica smirked as Jeremy started to pant, eyeing her closely as she moved towards him and lay in between him and the couch. She giggled triumphantly and traced his chest with her finger. He made her climax, so she had to make him climax, it was only fair in her eyes. He smiled at her and moved his arm around her back and kissed her lips tenderly. She snuggled close to him and rested her head upon his chest, closing her eyes and breathing softly. "I think that's enough for today. It wasn't fair you made me reach an orgasm, so…I had to do it for you."

-END OF THE MATURE PART-

"Bold move." He was sweating and still breathless. He groomed the end of her hair and kissed her head. "So, where did you learn to do that?"

"When you have a mom and an aunt like I do, you are taught a _lot_ of things, as well as _shown_ a lot of things throughout life." Jeremy laughed and Jessica took note of each jump his chest did. "I bet you think I'm so innocent that you don't think I'd do something like that."

"Hmm, no, I've known you for a long time, so I'm _pretty_ sure I know what you're capable of."

"Yeah…" She tightened her embrace around his waist and snuggled her head into his neck. "I'm so glad you're home, Jeremy. I missed you."

"I missed you too. I love you, Jessica."

"I love you." Jeremy closed his eyes and soon drifted off to sleep. His dream centered around his beloved girlfriend.

_She was walking away from him and no matter how fast he ran after her, he could never catch up to her. His eyes twitched as he watched everyone around him staring at him with disapproving expressions, some even mixed with laughter. Jessica stopped walking away, but even still he couldn't reach her! She peered at him, a forlorn expression on her face. "Why did you wait so long?" Sam's voice rang out and fear overwhelmed him._

_ "Couldn't you catch the hints?" Tyler's face appeared before him, disappointed._

_ "I do blame myself, son. I do. I shouldn't, but I do."_

_ "Lieutenant Elliot!" Jeremy stiffened as General Trent's voice bellowed. "Twenty years you've known her. What the _fuck_ are you waiting for?"_

_ "Bro, what's with all the heavy petting?" He turned and gaped at Gibby, who no longer was looking up to him. "Get real! Don't you think she wants _more_ than that by now?" _

_ Freddie smacked him upside the head and he rubbed it vigorously. "We're all starting families here and you're making Jessica watch? Haven't you had enough time to figure out whether you loved her or not?"_

_ "Do you want to be with her or not?" _

_ "Lieutenant, all women walk away once it's been too damn long. She loves you, she says she will wait forever, but do you think she _wants_ to wait forever? Are you waiting for an engraved invitation, soldier?"_

_ Janet's motherly voice rang out and he turned around to see her staring at him. "I've entrusted my daughter to you, she's given you her heart. What more do you need?"_

_ "Jeremy?"_

_ "Jeremy!"_

_ "Jeremy…JEREMY!"_

Jeremy's eyes shot open and he saw Jessica looking worriedly at him. He was completely soaked with sweat and Jessica was near frightened. "I've been trying to wake you for the last twenty minutes, you've _never_ been a hard sleeper. Are you okay?"

"Y-Yeah…I'm just fine…" He lifted his hand up and caressed her face. She smiled slightly and gave kissed him chastely. He'd almost always slept with one eye open, basically. He didn't mean to worry her, but that dream took a lot out of him. He felt guilty. She was so beautiful, he loved her with all of his heart. What was he waiting for? What was he afraid of? Didn't his own father tell him that he would be a good man, good husband, and a good father? There was nothing to fear. "I'm sorry."

Her face softened and she kissed him tenderly, then looked up at the clock. She closed her eyes and groaned. Jeremy looked at her with concern as she stood from the couch. "Well, we've been asleep for at least an hour and a half now, and I just remembered that Mom and Dad are on their way here!"

"What?" Jeremy's eyes widened as he sat up and looked down, groaning in disgust as the stench hit his nostrils. "Oh my god…"

"Yeah, we need to clean up. So, how about you and I take a quick shower and get ready?_" _He nodded and followed her into the bathroom. This was their home now, at least until Jessica decided it was time to go back to Seattle. She wasn't sure what to do, because she was finally working under her mentor now. Janet and John were flying over for a visit this week and their plane was due to land any time now. Given the allotted time it takes to get through the airport, get a cab, and get to the house, Jessica figured they had about anywhere from thirty minutes to an hour to clean up.

Once they were in the shower together, it was there they could talk and relax. Jeremy leaned against the shower wall and Jessica leaned back against his chest, closing her eyes and letting the water wash over her body. "Jeremy, some advice?"

"What is it?"

"I love working for Ms. Willows, and as you know, Mason and Lindsey are here, but our families are in Seattle. I'm lost as to what to do. Where will we settle down at? Well…I mean by that…" Jeremy raised an eyebrow and paid close attention to Jessica as her eyes drifted to the side. He was pretty sure she wanted to start a family, and hell, he wanted to settle down himself. Twenty years they'd known each other, and a little over ten years ago they started developing a crush on each other that slowly developed into a strong feeling of love. He placed his hands on Jessica's arms and kissed the back of her head. She smiled and looked upwards.

"Jessica, I usually say give it time, but I also want to stress that you should follow your heart." Following one's heart, perhaps he should start taking his own advice? "Stay with Ms. Willows for a while, she has so much to teach you, and besides…did you say she intends on retiring in a few years?"

"Yeah, and I'm a blood spatter specialist like she was!"

"So stick around until she retires and see what happens." Jessica smiled lightly and cuddled close to him, he always seemed to say the right things. She turned to look at him and frowned, perplexed. He had a different look on his face than usual, like something was bothering him.

"Okay, what's wrong? Do you need advice too?" Jeremy met her eyes and smiled, his heart pounding hard in his chest. He had to confess that he'd wanted to marry her for so long, he'd actually bought a ring a while back, but waiting for the perfect time just hadn't worked out.

"I don't want to wait any longer…" She raised her eyebrow and tilted her head in confusion. "I don't want…I don't want you to walk away…because it's too late…" He breathed in sharply as she met his eyes, confused. This was right, he felt that much. She was the one meant for him, so he wasn't going to put it off any longer. He hated to put things off, and loving her was just one thing that he couldn't put off.

"What? What are you talking about? Walk away…I wouldn't walk away from you."

"I know, it's just…agh…" He reached to the fresh pair of jeans on the toilet that he'd grabbed from the bedroom. Slipping his hand into the pocket, he grabbed the box that he'd thought to shove in there. Jessica watched curiously but missed him moving his hands behind his back and smiling at her.

"What are you hiding?" She smirked playfully and started to grab, but he lifted up a finger and shook it at her.

"Ah-uh-uh…" She pouted her lip and crossed her arms.

"Fine then, don't play along."

"There's no more time, I have to do this, I want to do this now…"

"Okay, _now_ you're acting strange, what's going on with you?" She turned around and looked at him with concern, as he'd been acting oddly since he wouldn't wake up after like twenty minutes.

"Jessica...I've been waiting for the perfect time, but I've been extremely nervous, as you can understand. After that dream I just had, I realize there's no perfect time like the present…" Jessica's face softened and her heart started to lift up as she was beginning to gather an idea of what he was about to do.

"Jeremy? In the shower? You're not…" He gazed into her eyes and she swallowed hard, silencing herself. She would let him talk.

"We've known each other twenty years, we've had a few nasty scrapes in the far past, but all in all we've fallen hard and fast in love with each other. As everybody around us grows, as they begin their families, I think to myself…I want that. _We_ deserve that happiness, we deserve that joy, we deserve the love that we feel for each other…" Jessica gasped softly as Jeremy began to move the box from his back, he held it where the water wasn't falling. "For so long, I thought I didn't deserve love, but you kept at me…and as we grew together, as we learned, I realized that it's possible to forgive and to be forgiven, that nobody needs to be alone. I don't want to wait anymore. Jessica Trent, I love you and I want to be your man, so if you would…" Her eyes widened and she cupped her hands over her mouth as he flipped open the box and revealed the most beautiful ring she'd ever seen. There were more chunks of diamonds in that ring than any she'd seen with Sam and Melanie, even! "Say you'll marry me, say you'll be my wife and share a lifetime of love with me. To have, to hold, to love and cherish for now and forever…in life and through eternity…"

Gasping she covered her mouth with her hands and her eyes widened to the size of saucers. What had made him finally propose to her? She'd waited for this moment for so long, she thought she would expect it when he proposed. This, however, was entirely unexpected. He surprised her, again, as he always did. Her eyes quivered as she slowly lowered her arms, excitement was rising in her like a gusher and tears of joy were starting to play at her eyes. She wanted this so badly, more than he would ever know.

"Oh my god, Jeremy…Yes, yes, yes, yes!" She squealed and jumped, nearly losing her balance and grabbing her arms around his neck in order to stabilize herself. She blushed and looked into his eyes, breathing out and calming herself. "It took you long enough…I would love to be yours and you be mine. More than anything, I want that. You'll have to ask my father's blessing first, though."

"Oh dear lord." Now that was scary, but he could handle it. "I'll do it tonight when they get here." He had to remain brave, but he was confident there was nothing to fear. Perhaps overconfident, General Trent was a hard man, but a respectable one.

"Okay…" She grinned and her eyes brightened. "God I love you." He smiled and kissed her lips gracefully, holding her close as the warm water fell upon them, washing them. With it, the past pain was washed away and new life together just beginning.

* * *

So he's proposed to her, finally. It seems appropriate. The next chapter, General Trent and Janet visit, Jeremy will then talk to them about marrying their daughter. Or more, he'll talk to the General. This will be fun, haha.


	84. The General's Daughter

Boarded

Disclaimer: I do not own iCarly!

A/N:

* * *

Chapter 84 (The General's Daughter)

Jeremy dried himself off and looked over at Jessica, finding it odd how she always managed to dry so quickly where for him, it took him at least three pat downs and he was still damp. He watched her brush her hair and gazed at her rosy cheeks. She was glowing, and he had to think that he contributed to that. Jessica looked herself in the mirror and her lips parted, even she could see how bright she was. She couldn't contain her happiness, considering Jeremy _finally_ proposed to her. Five years of dating, she would have spent as long as needed for him to be ready to marry her. He'd told her about that dream he had and she told him he didn't have to worry about it at all. "Jess, how much time do we have?" He pulled his socks on as she turned her head to him.

"Um…I think about fifteen minutes, not sure." She brushed her hair a bit more and set the brush on the sink. Her lips were puffy and slightly pink, her cheeks were rosy and her eyes sparkling. She didn't wear any makeup, but even if she did, it probably wouldn't stop her from glowing so much. Damn, her mom was probably going to take one look at her and ask if she was getting married! "Anyway, let's go clean up the living room. There probably isn't much to do." He chuckled as they moved from the bathroom and glanced at the living area. The rug was a bit ruffled, the couch cushions were moved and the end table had been knocked over. Basically everything around the couch was a mess. "Okay never mind that, I'll grab the vacuum. Fix the couch and rug."

"I'm on it." Jeremy pushed the couch back some and straightened the rug, pulling it flat. Jessica returned with the vacuum and turned it on. Jeremy stepped back as she moved the object all around the couch. Once finished, Jeremy straightened the cushions and looked over as Jessica pressed the button on their answering machine.

_Hey Jessica, Jeremy, it's Mom. Just wanted to let you know, we'll be there in five minutes._

"Oh, wait…wasn't that…" They heard a car rush by the house and quickly began straightening up around the couch, the message had been left about three minutes before. When done they looked at the couch and saw some small spots on the center cushion. "Oh, _ew!_" Jessica quickly flipped the cushion over as the doorbell rang. "Jeremy, can you grab that? Ugh…we need to shampoo these cushions when Mom and Dad leave."

"Yeah, sorry about that…" Jeremy's face turned red as he walked to the door. She closed her eyes and sighed while placing her hands on her hips. It was partially her fault, she just wanted to try something she'd never done before and was way too afraid of him releasing into her mouth. She waved her hand in front of her face and groaned.

"Oh god, the couch _smells_ too."

"Huh?" He placed his hand on the knob and looked over with a frown.

"It smells like sweat and…" Her face turned red as she quickly ran into the next room.

"Jessica?"

"I'll be right there! I have to perfume the sofa!" He sighed and opened the door, smiling at John and Janet. The two had heard Jessica's concern with perfuming the sofa and smiled oddly. Jeremy was extremely nervous as it was, because he knew he had to ask John for his daughter's hand in marriage, a sign of respect and chivalry.

"Hello General, and Mrs. Trent. Won't you come in?" He shook John's hand as Janet walked inside.

"I told you to call me Janet. Or Jan, that works too." She smiled and looked over as Jessica ran into the room, carrying a bottle of floral fragrance. Jessica smiled at her and waved rapidly.

"Hi mommy!" The two parents raised their eyebrows as their daughter sprayed down the sofa. Janet rubbed her chin and watched her child closely. There was something different about her, something very different. She lifted her hand up and cleared her throat.

"Jessica, sweetheart." Jessica lifted the cushions up and sprayed beneath them. Janet cleared her throat again as the men watched with amusement. "Jessica! Honey!" Jessica gasped and quickly stood up and looked to her mother with a bright smile.

"Yes mommy? I'm glad that you've made it safely!"

"Thank you dear." She eyed her daughter with a peculiar smile and slowly looked to Jeremy. "Jeremy, what did you do to my daughter?" Jeremy coughed and chuckled nervously as he rubbed the back of his head.

"Er, what do you mean exactly?"

"Hold on…" Janet walked to Jessica and circled her silently. Jessica raised her eyebrows and looked at Jeremy with confusion. She tilted her head and the corner of her lips pulled back as her mother started sweeping her clothes with her hand, brushing her back and shoulders. Janet then stopped in front of her and looked into at her daughter's eyes. "You're blushing, you look so beautiful…you're positively _glowing_." Jessica closed her eyes and moved her head to the side, blushing deeply. "Jessica sweetie, look at me…" She did so and Janet searched her happy eyes for a minute. She then placed her hand to her chest and gasped softly.

"What is it, Mommy?" Tears came to Janet's eyes as she placed her hands on Jessica's cheeks and her eyes brightened.

"When did he ask, baby?"

"What?" Her eyes grew and her heart pulsed, the blush on her face deepened still. How did her mother even guess that was what happened? Maybe because it was all she wanted for so long, that naturally on the happiest she'd been, her mother would know what was the cause for that happiness. "Today."

"Oh baby! I'm so happy for you." She hugged Jessica closely and Jeremy felt John's hand upon his shoulder. He knew what this meant, it was time to have the talk. Jeremy placed his hand in front of his mouth and cleared his throat.

"Okay! So! I have something I need to say." The others turned to him as he met Jessica's doting gaze. He was extremely confident, there was no reason to be nervous. He knew this well. "Would everyone please move on to the kitchen and have a seat at the table? Jessica and I have something that we want to talk to you about." The parents nodded and made their way to the kitchen. Jeremy stepped next to Jessica, who was still blushing, and smiled at her. "So, what do you think they'll say? Okay?"

"Mm-hmm." She tiptoed upwards and kissed his cheek before making her way to the kitchen. Jeremy felt his heart rise as emotion flooded him. She was so cute with that particular bounce in her step. He took a trancelike step forward, then shook himself out of his trance. Thinking fast, he hurried into the kitchen. He saw Janet sitting in one of the black dining table chairs with Jessica in the chair on the other side of the round oak table. John was standing in front of the table, his hands behind his back, and the most stern expression on his face. It was like he knew what was coming and was trying to see if Jeremy would scare easily.

Jeremy smirked, knowing this ploy well. He wasn't going to falter. No, there was _nothing_ that could scare him, nothing that could shake his determination. He loved Jessica more than life itself, he needed her in his life just as she needed him, and thus, their love was unshakeable. Jessica moved her eyes to Jeremy and smiled gently while Janet simply stared at him with certainty. She never once doubted that she made the right decision in trusting Jeremy with her daughter's heart. John watched Jeremy closely with narrow eyes, his chest puffed outwards and the stars on his uniform reflected the light brightly. His broad shoulders and spread out legs seemed to reflect his domineering pose. Sure, over the five years, he'd always been happy for the couple's relationship, but he needed to _know_ Jeremy would do _whatever_ it took. Jeremy may have shown he'd do what it took, but he needed to be able to understand that Jessica was and always would be his little girl and no matter _who_ he was, he had to be stronger emotionally and mentally above all else. Jeremy had a few scrapes in the past, but was he _strong enough_ for his daughter, strong enough for his angel. All the women could do was pray John wouldn't be _too_ hard on Jeremy.

Jeremy stepped in front of John and stood at attention, looking into John's powerful eyes. John smirked slightly and narrowed his eyes more as he eyed Jeremy's posture and body language. Good man, he was showing no fear, but showing that he respected and feared the General greatly. "What is your name and rank, sir."

"Lieutenant Jeremy Lance, sir." He had figured a while back that his father's birth name _was_ Lance, his uncle's name was that, and Elliot was a horrid reminder, so he changed his last name to Lance. "You are my superior on the battlefield and at home."

"Correct. Now state your purpose." Janet and Jessica looked at each other and sighed, this could potentially end badly. John took a step forward, closing the gap between himself and Jeremy. "I know you aren't thinking of marrying my daughter, are you? The sad thing is I honestly get fresh young recruits asking me if she's available." Jessica's eyebrows lifted and Janet chuckled nervously. It was true, on hand, John got maybe four or five people a year asking for his daughter's hand in marriage, and it was just the new recruits who learned he had a beautiful daughter. Jeremy did not flinch, he did not care who was interested in Jessica because _he_ was the one that had her.

"I am here to ask for your daughter's hand in marriage."

"Oh you _are_?" He hinted at a smile, but kept his rock hard look. "And why should I treat you any differently. What will you tell me that I've not heard from any other man out for my daughter's heart?" He paced around Jeremy, who remained standing firm. His eyes drifted over to Jessica's for a brief second, then he shot them over dead ahead.

What could he say? That he loved her? Well certainly the general's heard that before. How about how beautiful Jessica was? "With all due respect sir, you may have heard it all." John raised his eyebrows and stopped in front of him, turning to face and stare into his eyes. "You may have heard how beautiful she is, you may have heard how infatuated or 'in love' people are with her. I'm sure you may have heard this as well. Your daughter's heart, her soul, it is stronger than any out there, but as strong as she is, even she needs love and someone out there deserves her love."

"That is true. She is an angel, son."

"Yes she is. I am by no means saying that I deserve her, but in all respect, I love her and I wish to marry her. I know our pasts have been rocky, there's been a lot that has pushed us a part and even more that has brought us closer. If not for her, I would be nothing."

"Whoever said you were anything, soldier?"

"Nobody, sir. I am nothing, I am nothing at all. Alone I am nothing."

"Damn right you are not!"

"I can only do so much, I am imperfect, but it is my desire, my goal to strive for excellence, to _be_ the best that I can be for all I care about, for everybody and for myself. I am not here to promise you that I will take care of your daughter, to promise you that I will love her with all my heart and that I will never, ever hurt her…" Jeremy narrowed his eyes slightly and continued to gaze with equal power into John's eyes. "You should know that, sir. I _will_ love her, I _will_ treat her right, I _will_ respect her. She will make me into a man, as much as my actions will, she will make me somebody. I am somebody. I am more than anybody. I am not a random man. I am the man that holds your daughter's heart and I will show you that you can trust me with her heart."

"I better be able to know it too, soldier! Can I trust you?"

"Yes sir."

"What was that?" He placed his hand to his ear and Jeremy shouted.

"Sir yes sir!"

"Will you ever intentionally hurt my daughter?"

"No sir!"

"Will you love her?"

"Yes sir!"

"Will you hit her?"

"Never sir!" He did not flinch, meaning the memory was but a distant once to him. This pleased John. Jeremy was not affected by his past, it was honorable and grand.

"Will you respect her as a woman?"

"Always, sir!"

"Is she your equal?"

"Yes sir!"

"Will you give me five hundred pushups the very second I ask?"

"Sir yes sir!" John smirked and clicked his fingers. Jeremy quickly fell to the ground and began his pushups, counting each and every one of them off. Jessica groaned with annoyance and dropped her forehead to her arms while Janet covered her mouth. John looked back at the girls and chuckled. Now he was just having fun with him. He looked back and tapped his foot lightly on the ground.

"How much shit can you handle, soldier?"

"Everything, sir!" Jeremy knew without warning, John would often hurl insults and profanities at him in order to test his mental endurance. It really did help him in so many ways. John leaned close to him and started shouting.

"You think you're important? You are nothing, soldier! How much do you want my daughter's precious heart? How precious is that heart to you?"

"She is my world, my everything!"

"She better fucking _be_ your everything! If she is not your everything, if you hurt her, I _will _find you, and I _will _break you!"

"I believe it, sir! Thank you, sir!"

"You were a pathetic teenager, soldier! You led a pathetic life in the past, soldier! Does this affect your judgment an any way, soldier?"

"Sir no sir!"

"It better not, soldier! Are you an angry man, soldier?"

"Sir no sir!"

"The fuck you aren't!"

"I am not an angry man, Sir!"

"Faster, you pathetic snail of a man!"

"Sir yes sir!" He began to speed his pushups up and Jessica chuckled slightly. She loved that Jeremy would and could take the stuff her father dished out. It showed great character and impressed her very highly. Not only did it impress her, it turned her on, but they'd already gotten through their making out of the day.

John continued to hurtle insults and profanities and Jeremy took each and every one of them well. Even the great General was impressed, it brought tears to his eyes. Once Jeremy got to the four hundreds, he put one arm behind his back and started doing pushups with his right index finger. Jessica's eyebrows rose and John smirked, folding his arms over.

"Four ninety eight, Four ninety nine, Five hundred SIR!"

"Get up soldier! I've seen enough!" Jeremy quickly shot up and stood at attention, placing his hands behind his back and spreading his feet apart. John cracked his neck and the women watched him in silence. "I applaud you for putting up with all of that, commendable performance."

"Thank you, sir!"

"Okay, enough of that now." He lifted his hand up and chuckled slightly. Jeremy nodded, but kept his posture out of respect. "I see that you are a man of incredible heart, strength, and mentality. I see that my daughter loves you with all her heart and that you love her too."

"Yes."

"I know you'll never do anything to hurt her, I've seen enough over the years to know that I _can_ trust you with her in every way." Jeremy smiled as John placed his hand upon the man's shoulders. "I wanted to make sure you were mentally prepared because…she can't carry your baggage, she needs somebody who is focused, who can care for her and knows what he wants through life."

"I understand."

"You both have had a rough life. Now you've had a very rough one, and I am proud to see that you have moved ahead of that past, that you have done well for your life. I couldn't be prouder of the man that you have become, I am almost certain you will succeed in all that you do."

"Thank you." Jessica's eyes started to water and Janet placed her hand upon her daughter's hand. It was clear that this was a very important moment for her, her dad _had_ to approve of the man she chose.

"It is true, there have been a lot of boys out there who have liked her, 'fallen' for her, a lot of boys that have broken her heart too. Do not think that because you're one of the few to have dated her that she has not had her heart broken by boys before." Jeremy slowly nodded, making sure that he would _never_ break her heart. "You know how it feels to have your heart broken too. Either way, my daughter deserves only the best, she deserves a _man_, not a boy."

"Yes."

"You were once a boy, but you have since grown into a man. When I returned home from Iraq, you were still a boy. Do you understand this?"

"Yes sir."

"Do you understand why?"

"I think so." John closed his eyes and breathed through his nose.

"Tell me why, Jeremy. Why were you still a boy?"

"Because I was not of the right mentality?"

"It's a good answer." John rubbed his chin and walked around him. There was a lot of reasons for why Jeremy was not quite a man. "Do you understand why you were still a boy before my return? Do you understand why you were still a boy even before the events of the rodeo five years ago?"

"Yes. I was angry and I let my anger take hold. I let what my father had done cause me to lose my mind…I did not live for myself, I did not treat anyone right, and I…hurt your daughter." Jessica closed her eyes and John glanced at her quietly. He breathed out and nodded his head.

"That is correct. Your first step into manhood, however, was realizing you were in the wrong, realizing how screwed up you were. Treating her right was your first real step. Do you realize that you ran away from your past? You hid from your past? And that made you still a boy? When you faced your past and you were honest with me, that is when you started to become a man. Do you understand?"

"Yes I do." Jeremy swallowed and closed his eyes, he honestly was not worried about his past any longer. It was, as such, past. There was no longer any reason to fear it, no reason to hide it. John pressed his lips together and smiled, folding his arms over.

"I am proud of you for this step. Your next step into manhood was forgiving your father for the pains he caused, do you understand this?"

"Yes sir."

"Willfully joining the military, as well, shows character. Jeremy, you've wowed me, you've impressed my wife, and above all…you _have_ both won and _earned_ my daughter's heart." Jeremy slowly smiled and continued to hold John's gaze. "If she loves you, that means she trusts you and knows you, and that you _do_ make her happy. Son, I couldn't be happier to know that you are the one to have her heart, and there is nobody on this green and blue planet of ours that I trust _more_ than you to take care of her heart."

"I am honored." John gazed into Jeremy's eyes for a minute and did not move. "Jessica, come here."

"Yes daddy." Jessica stood from the chair and walked over to them. Janet slowly stood up, tears in her eyes, and placed her hand upon her wrist.

"Jeremy, take her hands."

"Yes sir." Jeremy turned to Jessica and looked into her eyes as he took her hands into his.

"You want my blessing, you want me to say that it is okay for you to marry my daughter. Son, let me tell you this again. There is nobody more perfect for my little girl than you. You don't need my blessing, you've had it from the very beginning. Please understand that I am not a hard man to come by, and I am not very trusting to any man who comes to me regarding her, and neither his her mother…she is our whole world, she's her mother's entire world, she needs the proper respect that she deserves. You understand this."

"I do, more than anything I do."

"Yes. I know you do." Jessica's eyes glazed over as Jeremy continued to gaze into them. "Now don't look away from her, not for a second, you see. Because now she is your whole world, she is your everything, you understand. You remember her this way, with pure love in her eyes, red cheeks, warm face and body language, you always remember this. Got that? My wife trusted you from the start, my daughter trusted you, and I have always trusted you. I love my nieces as well, but you understand I have no reason to be hard on your brother or on Freddie, you understand why? Because Sam and Melanie have their mother that they must win over, and she alone can be hard as hell. My primary concern is my daughter's well-being, my daughter's happiness. Treat her well Jeremy, love her, cherish her. That is all I ask. She is yours and you are hers."

"Thank you."

"As a sign of my blessing, you may kiss her now." Jessica smiled and her eyes danced into Jeremy's as he leaned forward. They closed their eyes and their lips met in a gentle, tender kiss. Janet smiled happily as she placed her hand on John's back and rested her head upon his shoulder. When the two pulled apart, they held each other's hands and turned to him. Jessica grinned happily and met her dad's eyes.

"Thank you daddy, I love you. You know that means a lot to me…"

"I know. Which way is the guest bedroom, by the way? I would much like to get my luggage there."

"It's in the back end of the hallway."

"Thank you." He turned to the doorway and stopped, looking back slightly. "And for the record, next time you decide to do a sexual act when I or your mother are coming for a visit…warn us and let us delay while you clean…" Jessica's eyes widened and she blushed heavily as her father walked away. How had he known? Janet chuckled nervously and placed her hand upon Jessica's shoulder.

"We could smell it before you perfumed it…it wasn't hard to figure it out. Your father and I were once young and in love ourselves, dear." Jessica's blush deepened and Jeremy raised an eyebrow. They exchanged glances as Janet followed after John. She stopped briefly and looked back. "Now Jeremy, won't you be a dear and help us with the luggage?"

"Uh, y-yeah. Yes ma'am!" Jessica laughed and pecked him on the cheek as he ran off to help John and Janet with their luggage. She placed her hand upon her arm and sat down, sighing with heavy contentment. How could this get any better? She closed her eyes and her smile grew large. Her heart was so filled with emotion, she thought it would explode. She just knew she and Jeremy were going to have a great life together. At least Jeremy practically already had Sam's approval, but getting that wouldn't be hard at all.

* * *

How lovely, General Trent _does _have a humorous side of himself, as scary as it is XD. He's given his blessing, he's giving Jeremy a lot of trust and respect. The next chapter will bring forth a conclusion of yet another issue. It is called "Wedding and Reunion". No you don't see the wedding, I don't like writing weddings because they're somewhat difficult for me to write and usually always the same. The events take place in the reception and involve specific guests.


	85. Wedding Reunion

Boarded

Disclaimer: I do not own iCarly!

A/N:

* * *

Chapter 85 (Wedding and Reunion)

The date was April 6th, 2017 and it was the happiest day of Jessica's life. She had just married the man of her dreams and was dancing in his arms at the reception. Joining them after a minute of dancing were her cousins with their men. Valerie and Jonah would have joined in but they were busy making sure their six year old and there year old stayed off of the dance floor. They really wanted to avoid having the couples trip. Pam and Janet held Sam and Melanie's one year olds while Vanessa also made sure her three year old was at her side. Veronica was thankful that her child was only a few months and not running about. Although, all those with babies did have a time trying to keep them from making too much noise during the wedding, if one cried, they all cried.

Also at the wedding, but remaining as obscure as a wallflower, was the recently married Carly Shay. Her husband, Brad, was standing next to her against the wall, drinking a glass of champagne. "You can't just stay hiding away for the rest of your life, Carly. You're either going to talk to her or you're not."

"I know, but…what if she still hates me?" Carly swallowed hard as she watched her former best friend twirl simultaneously with the other women and spin back into her man's arms. Brad frowned and shrugged his shoulders. There was a chance Sam was still hurt by the things she'd said back then, who really knew. Yeah, they agreed to go on with their lives, to be happy and to live, and so far it seemed to be doing more good than harm. Brad could see that Carly still cared about her, though. It was hard to let go of a good friendship, and hard to forget. They probably would never have as great of a friendship again, but even he could see that maybe Carly wasn't ready to let go just yet.

"It's been six years, and don't you think she's going to see your name written in the guest book?" She frowned and took a sip of her champagne. She hadn't even wanted to show up, it was Brad's idea. She did, however, feel like she should be there to support everyone, but she was too gun shy to actually step out in the open, and nobody noticed the obscure ones, right?

"No. Jessica will, she won't."

"And then Jessica will tell her cousin about how your name appeared so mysteriously on the guest book. You're so into the legal system that you didn't even put a fake name down…" Carly chuckled nervously as her husband smirked and folded his arms across his chest. He had her there, she had to admit. Jessica would very likely tell Sam or Melanie and they would wonder about it. "Don't you think she would want to know who the driving force behind so many positive things in the last six years has been?" As if Sam didn't already know. Carly tapped her pinky finger on her glass and hummed softly, breathing out through her nose. "Just like that girl over there where Guppy is…"

"Hm?" Brad pointed to the other side of the room where Guppy was standing, cheering on his brother. At fourteen years of age, he wasn't much different than he had been when he was younger, still energetic and upbeat, but with a more mature and serous outlook. Carly's eyebrows rose when she saw the girl next to him. Standing at almost his height, reddish brown hair flowing into a ponytail that crossed over her shoulder, very thin and petite form, wearing a small t-shirt and denim blue jeans, was a girl who did not look all that different from six years prior. Her once round face was thinner and had more of a V shape than before and her blue eyes seemed to sparkle. Her hair had four streaks in her hair, flowing from tip to bottom, three black and one purple. In her hand, along with Guppy's, she held a glass of ginger ale, the drink of choice for those underage. "Oh my…god…"

"Brandy, right?" He sipped his champagne as the tears came from her eyes. "Adopted by Candice White and her husband about five years older than her…" It was the man that Candice had talked about to Jeremy and Jessica, the friend she had known since before Jeremy that he felt she should have been with rather than him. He was 28 now and raking in the dough as a very successful businessman, which was why it was okay for her to marry him at 19 and adopt an seven year old girl. "How much are you willing to bet she doesn't remember you, or her family, for that matter?"

"I…"

"Such a young age, she probably doesn't know the type of person her brother was, probably can't remember much of the massacre of her family." If that was the case, then Brandy was a very lucky girl. "But Sam, she will always remember you, she will always remember the things you've done behind the scenes that you thought nobody knew about…she may even want to thank you." Carly tilted her head and bounced for a second as Brad took another sip of his drink. "You put that restraining order on Lenny, saved Brandy from hell. You've reunited Jeremy with his true family, you've done so much for Sam's family…more than you know…Don't you think she at least deserves to see you?" Carly shrugged her shoulders and watched her former best friend, leaning in so close to Gibby, she'd never seen Sam so happy in her life. "Remember how she almost didn't have enough money for her wedding and you sent in that anonymous donation that paid for half the wedding…you have done a _lot_ for Sam over the years, granted all behind the scenes, but either way. Are you really ready to just…say goodbye to her? I don't think so…"

"Things were said…she wouldn't want to see me again."

"You've changed a lot since then. So has she."

"Yeah…but I worry about spoiling the reception." She watched as the dances ended and Sam began pushing Gibby to the table where he stepped up and called out, raising his glass. He had to give the traditional toast of the best man, this would be entertaining.

"A toast, to my brother and his wife, Jessica!" Jeremy grinned as Jessica blushed and grasped his hand tightly. "To have known each other for twenty years and waiting this damn long before getting hitched…to finally tying the knot, may their marriage be filled with happiness and _plenty_ of sex to make up for all those years!" Jeremy's eyes widened and Gibby smirked, motioning his glass towards him. "Bro, Jess, you two can finally let loose and stop holding back." A laugh erupted from the crowd and the newlyweds blushed as the guests applauded and drank to the couple. Brad shook his head and Carly raised an eyebrow.

"Well that seemed appropriate…"

"Eh, I wouldn't complain too much, Carly dear. You know how it's like with newlyweds. How long after our best man's speech did it take before _we_ slipped off?" Carly blushed and closed her eyes, nudging him playfully. The bride and groom almost always seemed to disappear either midway through or sometime soon after the reception. Usually it was after the best man's speech, when all the guests just started focusing on the food and nothing else. The newlyweds would vanish for about half an hour and mysteriously return. It took Brad and Carly about 2 minutes after the best man's speech to mingle, then vanish to the 'Private Quarters' as it was called. "Look…" He pointed his index finger from his glass and Carly glanced over to see Jessica leading Jeremy away by the wrist as the guests started helping themselves to the food and sitting at the tables. "About a minute and they're gone. Chances are…we won't see them for another twenty to forty minutes. Then, they have to come back and cut the cake for everybody to have desert."

"Expect kids in about a year, right?" He laughed as Carly silently took a plate from the food table and started to fill it up. Brad followed soon after.

"What do you think?"

"I think I'm hungry and I would like to try the food before it gets cold." Once their plates were filled up, they took a seat at a table slightly away from the others and not too far into the light. Brad watched her fork her meal and stare at it with narrow eyes. He knew what this meant, that she was deep in thought. Whenever she was thinking hard about something she would seem to zone out. He could say it all he wanted, but she would just deny it, yet every time they lay to sleep together, she would tell him how she wished she could just talk to Sam. There was so much life they missed, so much that had happened, and most of it was because of her attachment to Griffin. They were adults now, they ought to be able to talk through their differences. They weren't sixteen years old anymore, they were grown adults living their life. Brad cleared his throat and wiped his mouth with his napkin.

"You know, just staring at it isn't going to make it go into your stomach." Carly didn't budge, she didn't even bat an eyelash. Normally, a statement like that would warrant a chuckle from her at least. He dropped the napkin and slowly stood from his chair. He'd had enough of seeing her like this, he wanted her to be happy, not depressed and mulling over the 'what ifs' of some mistake she made years ago. "I'll be right back, I need to go to the bathroom."

"Okay…" Carly did not look up, she did not see Brad walk to Sam's table. She did not see Sam's surprised reaction when he touched her shoulder and whispered into her ear, and she did not see him continue to the bathroom. She forked her meat again and contemplated not eating, as though her appetite was gone. Closing her eyes, Carly shrugged and took her first bite of her food, chewing it slowly. She felt the table budge and swallowed. "That was fast, you usually take a bit longer going to the bathroom…"

"I don't know, having a baby's made me start learning to use the restroom faster than when I was younger." Carly's eyes shot open and she started to choke on her meat. Thinking quickly, Sam grabbed Carly's drink and put it to her lips, bumping Carly on the back with her fist. Carly breathed in quickly and looked to Sam with nervous eyes. "Jesus, first time we see each other in six years and you nearly choke to death?"

"Sam! I uh…" Sam sat back in her chair and reached into the blue stroller, pulling her son, Max, out and cradling him. Max was a pudgy baby with a round face and dark brown eyes. He was sound asleep. Carly smiled at the sight and met her old friend's eyes.

"So how in the hell have you been, Carly? What have you been up to lately?"

"Oh you know…same old, same old." Sam pressed her lips together and Carly slowly breathed out, she needed to not be so nervous, but she really couldn't help it. Sam's eyebrows rose up momentarily as Carly looked again to her baby. "So, you and Gibby finally married."

"Yeah, but something tells me you know that." Sam smirked slightly and Carly shrugged her shoulders lightly. "A lot has happened in the last six years. What about you, though? How is Griffin, assuming you're still together?" Carly took another bite of her meal and shook her head.

"Wouldn't know, I haven't seen him since I sent him packing a few years ago…" Sam frowned and her brow furrowed.

"I'm so sorry-"

"Don't be. He was a lazy slob and all he cared about was sitting around cleaning his motorcycle. He never even got a job…and he wanted me to iron all his clothes and whatnot. I basically said 'no way' and pushed him to the side."

"Oh?" Carly pushed her chest out proudly and Sam smiled lightly. She would have had to guess, considering it was _Brad_ that was here with her. She hummed lightly and trailed her eyes to Carly's finger, there was a beautiful diamond ring on her finger. She lifted her hand up and pointed at it. "So when did you get married?"

"Huh?" She looked down and her eyebrows rose joyfully. "Oh! Well two months ago, actually. Brad's been a good friend for a long time, actually. He helped me through my break up with Griffin and then we started dating…one thing led to another and you know. It was fireworks." Carly's eyes brightened and Sam smiled at her, she was happy to hear the news.

"I am very happy for you! What do you do now?"

"I'm in law school." Sam's lips parted into oval form as Carly shone her teeth with pride. She sipped her drink and leaned back in her chair, slowly but surely beginning to feel more comfortable around Sam. Sam herself wasn't feeling too odd around Carly. She hadn't thought about her in a while, due to her family life beginning, but she had definitely missed her. "I also help bring families back together. I want to become a family lawyer. I bet you didn't know that."

"No, but something told me you might go into law…" She smirked knowingly and Carly raised an eyebrow. Just how much had Sam caught onto in the past six years? Come to think of it, Sam always was the observant type. "I'm a police officer with the homicide division. One day, I'm going to become the Police Chief of Seattle."

"Hm." Carly tapped her chin in thought and her lips turned upwards. "Sam Gibson, Chief. It has a good ring to it."

"Yeah, and I'll bet your name will sound good with the whole Attorney at Law thing." Max began to stir and let out a frustrated grunt. Sam turned her eyes to her baby and gasped. "Oh Max, I just changed your diaper, are you hungry?" She placed him on her shoulder and pat his back. Carly watched with a smile and placed her hand upon her belly. One day, she would like to start a family, but not right now. "Max, do you want your ba-ba?" She watched as Sam calmed the baby, then reached into the stroller and pulled out the infant's milk bottle.

"I'll bet you make a good mother." Sam looked to Carly as she fed Max his bottle.

"I learned a lot from my own mom." Carly nodded as Sam watched her baby carefully. "So when were you going to tell me about everything?"

"Huh?"

"Back in 2011, the whole thing with Lenny and Jessica…then there was every anonymous gesture in between that and then connecting Jeremy with his uncle? I'm going to guess that the mysterious contribution that paid for half my wedding was from you as well…" Carly blushed slightly and looked down to her plate, she really should not be surprised. "Did not take long to figure out it was Spencer that filed the restraining order for Jessica back then. You've been doing a lot for my family in the past six years, Carly…I know that." Max was done with his bottle, so Sam cleaned it with a napkin and replaced it in the compartment in the stroller. She then rocked Max and looked to Carly, meeting her eyes. "Why?"

"You want the truth?" She asked this in a very quiet voice, afraid that Sam would not be happy with her. She didn't want to seem desperate, she didn't want it to be too blatantly obvious that she missed her best friend, she just wanted to do something for her. Sam slowly nodded and held her smirk.

"And nothing but the truth..."

"Okay." Carly took a deep breath as Sam started to place the once more sleeping baby back into the stroller. "I want to acknowledge that yes, when our friendship ended, I was…experimenting with an odd new lifestyle. Met some guy who I was hot for and thought I could live the American dream. Turned out that wasn't the case and as I grew, I started to realize that…well…I missed my friend. I still cared, and when I found out what Lenny had done to you and Jessica, I was furious. Something had to be done and the police wasn't going to do it."

"Mm-hmm, I plan on reforming the police department. Maybe you can do something about the legal system." Carly laughed once and smiled kindly. She wouldn't mind making it to the top judge in the state. She honestly wanted to become a judge one day. "Together we could reform Washington's legal and judicial system!"

"Yeah!" The women laughed for a minute, then quieted down. Sam locked her gaze with her old friend's and smiled.

"We have a lot of catching up to do, it seems. I've missed you too, and honestly…I don't know why you never just came and found me. You know when you broke up with Griffin, I would have been there for you." Carly turned her eyes downcast and shrugged. How was she to know anything like that, really?

"I thought you would hate me or something…" Sam shook her head and placed her hand over Carly's. Carly looked up, her eyes widening just a bit and her eyebrows rising. Sam had such a soft, serene expression. It was almost comforting for her to see.

"The past is just that, past. It's something we've all had to learn. Sure, things were said and things were done, but we were young. You've done a lot of growing, I've done a lot of growing, and you know what? It's probably no coincidence that fate has led us where we are now, six years later. Now…" Suddenly Sam's phone went off with a text alert. She grumbled and grabbed for the intruding object. "Hold on while I check this."

"Okay…" Carly's eyes were misty and her heart was racing, she couldn't believe how positive this reunion was. There wasn't any reason to be afraid, just as Brad had always told her. Damn, every time he gave her advice, she always would end up figuring out that she needed to listen to him.

Groaning, Sam put her phone into her pocket and slowly stood up. "Carly, I'm sorry, but Jessica just texted saying that she was so numb she couldn't move, but she just had the 'most pleasurable experience of her life'. Her quote…" Carly chuckled as Sam spotted Melanie getting up from her seat and looking over to her. "I'm guessing I'm not the only one whose help she's requested. Guess we'll have to wake Jeremy up and tell him to get back in uniform while we get Jessica's legs…'un-jellied' so they can cut the damned cake already." Sam sighed and smiled to her friend. "Either way, we _have_ to talk again sometime, got that?"

"Yeah, I got that. What's your phone number? I'll write it down real fast."

"All right." Sam grabbed the handles of the stroller as Carly pulled a paper and pen from her purse. She recited her phone number and Carly wrote it down with a gleeful haste. "Call me some time after the this weekend, maybe we can start fresh again."

"I'll be sure to do that."

"All right, I'll be looking forward to your call, Carly." The women smiled at each other as Sam started off to where her mom was, she needed to leave Max with her. Then, she and Melanie rushed to where Jessica was. Seems this would be how every day and night of their honeymoon would end, numb and yet pleasurable. Carly watched her friend leave and turned her eyes to see Brad standing outside the restroom with a smile on his face, he had been watching. She smirked and narrowed her eyes, she would definitely be having a talk with him later. He grinned and walked up to the table.

"Sorry, took a little longer than I hoped."

"Yeah, sure Brad…tonight, meet me in the bedroom. We need to 'talk' about a few things." Brad's eyebrows rose as his wife closed her eyes and continued eating her food. Well if this was his punishment for sneaking Sam upon her, he needed to do stuff like this more often for her. Whatever it took to make her happy, that was all that mattered.

* * *

Okay, catch up, haha. Well I hope you've enjoyed this chapter. Carly and Sam are finally starting their friendship over again. Note, it's not starting where they left off. They acknowledge that both have changed so much and are so different that they can't start where they left off, because they're practically strangers now, but they can start anew.


	86. Expensive Honeymoon

Boarded

Disclaimer: I do not own iCarly!

A/N:

* * *

Chapter 86 (Expensive Honeymoon)

"Do they even know where they're going?" Melanie asked as she sat next to Freddie on the plane, cradling their one year old baby in her arms. They, along with Lindsey and Mason were asked to join Jessica and Jeremy on their honeymoon. Lindsey was asked by Jessica and Freddie was asked by Jeremy, mainly because he knew Mason might want someone other than his wife and a couple that would be 'out of sight' the entire time with him. Who better than his brother? Sam was busy, Gibby couldn't come along, three were so many people who would have wanted to join them. "Or is it all a big surprise?"

"They don't know exactly. All they know is the suite they're staying in has three bedrooms. It's supposed to be big…" Melanie's eyebrows rose as she looked over to Jeremy and Jessica. Jessica had her head on Jeremy's shoulder and he was reading a book of some sort. This was a private plane they were on, and a damn good one at that. "All I know is Jeremy's Uncle, General Trent, and Lindsey's mom Catherine, all pitched in to pay for this honeymoon. _Everything_ is paid for."

Melanie's eyes widened and her lips parted briskly. If this were the case, the honeymoon would definitely be a lavish one. "Wow." No wonder they were allowed to tag along. "And nobody knows any details?"

"Nope. I have an idea that there's some other reason Jeremy invited me too." Melanie raised her eyebrow as Freddie closed his eyes and chuckled quietly. He folded his arms flat across his chest and sighed. "Jeremy has been talking to me about the military, trying to recruit me."

"He wants you in the army? I think that'd be a good idea." Melanie smiled and placed her hand upon his hand. Freddie shrugged and pressed his lips together. He was afraid of joining the army, to be perfectly honest, and what could he do? As long as he was still able to pursue baseball just a bit, but not deal with as much press. He wasn't overly confident, however, that he would be right for the army.

"I am not a fighter, Mel. You know that…" She frowned and thought for a second, what could she say really? He was right, but he could still have some use in the army. Where her family was a military family, she was confident Freddie would mix in well. "I'm not a fighter like Jeremy or Gibby, I'm not strong like that…"

"No, you're not…you're right." She breathed in deeply as Freddie stared ahead at the cockpit of the plane. "However there is still much you can do in the military. You're _smart_, Freddie. You may not have the _physical_ strength that Jeremy has, but you have the _mental_ strength. That's why Jeremy's trying to recruit you, because he and Uncle John can see that you have that power." He smiled at her words and imagined himself, not on the battle field, but doing something similar to a bomb squad. "Even counter intelligence might be good for you! There's _plenty_ you can do. Do yourself a favor, Freddie…give some thought to the army and don't turn down Jeremy and Uncle John because of the fighting. Will you promise me that you'll think about it?"

"Well…" He met her eyes and she kissed the tip of his nose and grinned brightly. She knew he could do anything, she believed in him with all her heart. "Yeah, I can promise you that. I'll think about it."

"That's great." A stewardess walked up, carrying a beautiful silver tray with fancy trimmings. On the tray were golden cups with a silver border at the lip. Inside was a very delicious herbal tea. The woman smiled at the two and held the tray to them.

"Tea?" Her eyes widened as she examined the cups and the tray, just the sight alone was enough to steal her breath away.

"Oh my…yes, yes please!" Melanie extended her hand and the lady smiled as she handed her the cup. She grabbed the cup and gasped, it felt weightless and very warm. She sipped the drink and let a contented sigh escape her lips as the steam rushed onto her face. This was almost too perfect, like a drink. Hell, the private jet itself was named _Cloud Nine_. Freddie held his hand up and graciously declined the offer. "Thank you, ma'am." The woman looked kindly, then walked off to Mason and Lindsey. Both took some tea and Mason sipped his first, letting the warm liquid drip down his throat. He stared in stunned silence at the drink and met Lindsey's curious eyes.

"This. Is. _Awesome!_" Lindsey laughed as Mason took another sip. To them, this was like a honeymoon for them as well, considering they never got that original honeymoon after marriage. They were thrilled to get back together, even though it meant moving to Seattle. Jessica and Jeremy had also moved to Washington, since Catherine had requested a transfer so she could be close to her daughter, and Jessica wanted to continue working for her. Lindsey probably thanked Freddie and Melanie more than they could know, considering they had made their relationship very successful while long distance, it inspired them to get back together. "I can't believe your mom actually helped pay this."

"She didn't pay as much as the General or Mr. Lance did, but she was still able to fork over some." She sipped her tea and looked out the window. Down below, many miles, was nothing but lush hills and mountains. "I know this much…wherever we're staying is supposed to be a _very_ expensive hotel in a _very_ private location." It was also out of the country, in Sweden, and it was more like an expensive guest house than a hotel. "I can't wait to get there."

"Yeah really." At least one to two million dollars were spent on this trip, and the newlywed couple was blind to that fact. Most of the proceeds went to the place. "I thought Kevin and Penny were coming along as well…"

"Savanna's starting kindergarten, they didn't want to pull her out for a trip." Lindsey looked back to see the stewardess heading towards the back of the plane and returning with two more lavish cups of tea.

"Understandable." Mason glanced back as well and sighed. The cups were more decorated than before, with various colorful spiking and swirls on the body. The same decorative trim remained at the lip, but was a bit deeper. "I'm guessing those cups are for the newlyweds…"

"Yeah, jealous…" Mason shrugged and looked through the window, he had to admit, it was the most beautiful sight he'd seen in such a long time. Lindsey followed his gaze and rested her cup in her lap. "Beautiful."

Jessica and Jeremy sat received their cups of tea and sipped it, it was definitely delicious. They knew their families had paid a good amount, and were _very_ curious about it all. "That was an evil prank we pulled on the wedding day, Jeremy." She smirked playfully and he laughed.

"If I remember correctly, it was your idea to disappear and make everyone think we were having sex. Though the making out was fantastic as always." She grinned as he wrapped his left arm around her waist. They wanted to make love that day, but they were nervous. It seemed like such a long time since they gave into something like that, and it remained that now they _could_ do it. Sam and Melanie had come into the room to see the two in their underwear, Jeremy had been putting his uniform on. "Your cousins looked ready to kill us."

"Nah, they wouldn't have done that." She laughed at her words, not entirely believing them. She drank more of her tea and let her eyes drift to the window. "It's really beautiful outside, Jeremy…"

"Yeah it is." The plane was coming down for a landing now. When they all managed to escape the airport, they found two black limos with their drivers next to them, holding up signs with the names of everyone.

"Oh my god Jeremy, we have _limos!_" The front limo was for the newlywed couple while the second was for the others. They laughed and piled into their transportation. It was not long before the ten mile journey commenced. Jessica grasped his arm and kissed his lips. "So…now that we have our lives situated and everything…" Jeremy looked to her as she leaned nuzzled close to him, brushing into his neck. "Mom and Dad are getting up in years. Dad being sixty two and mom's fifty seven…"

"Yep." He surreptitiously pressed the button for the black screen to cover the area of the limo for privacy. She placed her hand upon his chest and leaned close, resting her head just under his chin. He wrapped one arm around her as she glanced up at him. He knew what she was getting at, but were they really ready to start a family? They did both have reliable jobs and he wasn't going to be letting the fact that he was a baseball player get in the way of his being a family man. "You know that whenever we have kids, I'm going to be there for them." Jessica smiled and gazed up into his eyes. That meant so much to her to hear. "I won't be a distant father."

"I know, Jeremy. I know. If you think about it, we've been together so long, we both have a good home in Seattle now…we can raise a kid, don't you think?" Jeremy's eyebrows rose as she leaned up and kissed his lips. He pulled away for a second and smirked into her eyes.

"So, that's it, huh? You want to start a family?" She smiled slightly and bit her lip.

"I look around and I see my cousins with their children, I see my parents over the years, and I just…I want to feel what the others feel, I want to be a mom. I don't know what's going on with me, I mean…yeah we _just_ got married, but…we're both living stable lives and…" She gasped as Jeremy kissed her fiercely. Her eyes fluttered shut and she wrapped her arms around his neck, leaning back and moaning as he rubbed his hands along her sides.

She was now flat against the seats and her kiss was deepening, the blood rushing to her face. He pulled away after a minute and she gazed up breathlessly as his muscular body towered above her. "Children will come when it's the right time, Jessica." He lay beside her and pushed his elbow into the seat, resting his head upon his head as Jessica turned onto her side and pressed her back against his chest. She closed her eyes and breathed out softly. "I know how much you want to be a mother, and I can tell you…I really do want to be a father. I want to be a father and watch my children grow, I want to have a happy family life and show my children just how much a father should be there, and so forth…"

"Yeah, you're going to make a great dad. I know that." She smiled and felt him put his arm around her waist. She moved her hand down and rested it on top of his. "Just…let me know if this week, I need to…" She stopped herself and Jeremy raised an eyebrow. Was she about to suggest staying off birth control? Was she ovulating or something this week? "So…when we get there, how lonely do you think our friends are going to be?"

"Not very." He smirked and let a chuckle out as the car started to come to a stop. He knew what she meant, and there was a pretty good chance that the two of them were going to be making a _lot_ of love during this week. "I mean they'll have each other, but the newlyweds are going to be a bit busy." He smirked and Jessica felt her body heat up, a blush creeping across her face. "They'll just have to entertain themselves."

"Jeremy. I love you."

"I love you too, Jessica." She turned her head back and kissed him. They lived for the random love statements. They heard a knock on the window and looked over to see their friends standing outside. "I think we're here."

"Yeah." She laughed and sat up with Jeremy. They exited and found the four friends watching them closely. Lindsey smirked and tilted her head to the side.

"Well it's about damn time you guys get out." The drivers, along with some people came to help carry the luggage for everyone. Jessica wasn't sure she _wanted_ anyone to do that for her, but she wasn't going to complain. "Okay, so this is your week, you two are the king and queen of the palace." Jessica blushed as her friend laughed and gave her a huge hug. "This is so exciting!"

"I know!" She gripped Jeremy's hand and squeezed it, he squeezed in a reflexive response. The group turned to the house and gasped as they eyed the surrounding. The building was a large, three story home with white brick. Each floor had three windows, the front door was brown wooden oak. It was bordered by shrubs all the way around. Peering around the corner, one could see a black fence in the back that surrounded a very large, somewhat dumbbell shaped pool with a hot tub next to it. Their eyes widened as they gazed around their surroundings, there was only one way in and one way out of this area, and that road was it. They were on top of a very large mountain and would probably be able to see the sunrise and sunset beautifully. Jessica was breathless. "Jeremy, this is…this is amazing…" The others were speechless. Mason glanced over at what appeared to be a large hedge maze to the right of the house and grinned, he would be exploring that hedge maze later. Once they escaped their trance, they decided it was best to follow the driver in. "I'm almost scared of the inside. As beautiful as it is out here…"

"Well, we may as well check it out." The couples took their partner's hands and entered through the door. Once inside, they gasped in stunned silence, their eyes enlarged to great sizes. The living room was large and bright, to reflect a calm atmosphere, the walls were a calm peach and the carpet matched the walls. There were several couches and chairs, several sculptures, several tables and benches scattered about. In the room next to it rested the kitchen, separated only by a bar. Inside were rose tinted tiles, several counters, a large table and chairs, a beautiful golden refrigerator with brass handles, resting upon golden wallpaper. There were polished, fancy doors that led into bathrooms. In the far right corner of the room was a golden staircase with silver hand railings. The group slowly ascended it, wanting to see the second story for themselves.

When they made it, they were in a continued state of shock and awe. Almost the entire area was a gaming area filled with pool tables, arcade machines, gaming consoles, dart boards, and much more. The carpeting was sandy brown, matching with the light brown walls. There were two very large bedrooms on the floor, both with an almost heart shaped looking mattress resting on a frame in which the silver poles towered into the air, holding a long, mellow peach colored drape to cloak the red sheets.

The group went up to the third floor and were startled by what they found. Almost identical in appearance to the second floor, but clearly not a gaming floor with hidden bedrooms, the third floor _was_ a bedroom. Brilliant sculptures lined the walls with portraits, a bed rested right in between two windows, it looked much like the beds on the second floor. Porcelain dressers with golden handles and one large flat screen television rested upon the wall in front of the bed. At least the golden door had a lock on it for privacy. It was clear to see this would probably be Jeremy and Jessica's bedroom. Tears dripped down Jessica's cheeks as she leaned against Jeremy. "Oh my god…this is so…so beautiful."

"Yeah, look at the windows." The group moved to the back windows and gazed out. It was such a beautiful view of the landscape. The green mountain flowed down and out, littered with trees all the way towards the ground. All around them were puffy clouds, littering the blue air and framing the sun. Such a sweet view, such a perfect view. How could their parents really afford all this? It seemed impossible! "This is going to be the best week of our lives…" Their friends nodded in agreement, still surprised and quiet.

The quiet was broken by someone opening the door. They turned around and spotted a middle aged woman in a business uniform. Her blonde hair graced her broad shoulders and her arms rested neatly at her sides. She smiled kindly and introduced herself to the group. "Hello, I'm Georgia. I'm your host for this week. I see you've found the 'king and queen' bedroom." Once more, the group nodded, their eyes wide.

"Uh huh."

"Believe me you're going to _love_ it here!"

"Uh huh." Georgia laughed as Jeremy closed the pearl colored drapes on the window.

"We're glad to have you here. If you come with me, I'll give you a tour of the house and the yard. Unless, you'd rather simply get started on the honeymoon." She looked to the blushing couple and they smiled back cheerfully. Freddie, Mason, Melanie, and Lindsey exchanged thoughtful glances, pondering what they wanted to do. Whatever the case, they had a whole week.

"Hey Freddie," Mason said while nudging his brother. Freddie looked over and smiled. "How about you and I grab a beer and play some pool downstairs?"

"Good idea." Melanie chuckled as she watched the men head downstairs. She looked down to Derek, in her arms, and kissed the infant's forehead. Lindsey watched the sight serenely with Jessica, then tore their gazes away as Melanie looked up at Georgia.

"I think I'll take the tour. Do you think there will be a crib I can use?" Georgia tapped her chin in thought as she looked to the baby, they had been informed there would be an infant. This was no trouble and they were glad to make accommodations. She smiled and gave a swift nod of reply.

"Yes, we've prepared yours and your husband's room, making sure to place a crib for your son."

"Thank you!" Melanie grinned and looked over to Lindsey. "You want to go on the tour?"

"Hell yes." She laughed and stepped forward, very intrigued with learning everything she could about the place. Georgia looked to the newlyweds questionably. Lindsey waved her hand through the air and started to walk out. "Leave them be for a while, they probably would like to get _their_ 'week' started." Jessica blushed furiously as her friend smirked in her direction. Melanie and the others laughed as Georgia smiled politely.

"Okay, so whoever is on the tour, if you will follow me. To the couple, you will find a key on the end table next to your bed." She started to walk off and the others followed her. Jessica watched as everybody exited the room. Jeremy grabbed the key and locked the door so nobody would disturb them.

"Okay Jess, where were we?" He turned around as Jessica giggled and gestured him to her. He slowly moved towards her, connecting his eyes with hers. "What do you think of this place? Beautiful?"

"It's _perfect_, Jeremy. But…we can talk about that later." She grabbed his shirt collar and let her eyes drift down while slowly moving her hands along his firmly built body. "First…let's get rid of this…" His eyebrows rose as she tore his shirt off. She gazed hungrily at his chest and drifted her eyes to his. "Why is it you seem more muscular every time I see you?"

"Exercise, diet, and my father-in-law…" He smirked as she started to laugh. "Now, shall we begin?" He wrapped his arms around her waist and she let out a yelping laugh as he gently tossed her onto the bed. It was not long before she stopped laughing and saw him leaning above her. "If you give the green light, I'll step on the pedal."

"Fine…" She breathed in and closed her eyes, she was very nervous. After all, they didn't actually have sex at the wedding, so she hadn't gone this far yet. "Just take it slowly. Okay?"

"Of course, Jessica." She smiled as she leaned up and kissed his lips tenderly.

"I love you."

"I love you." She rested her head back on the bed and hummed lightly, tapping her chin.

"How much do you love me? Would you show me?"

"Gladly." He smirked and kissed her passionately. She moaned with pleasure as she deepened the kiss and pulled him close to her. This was just the beginning of what they could foresee as a long, beautiful, and happy marriage.

* * *

So the families banded together and put forth a whopping amount of money for this honeymoon. So much so that it would appear two people are going to get pregnant here. Hey, this is as much a honeymoon for Mason and Lindsey as it is for Jessica and Jeremy! XD Next chapter is "Pool Bet" and perhaps only Lantern knows what that's going to mean.


	87. Pool Bet

Boarded

Disclaimer: I do not own iCarly!

A/N:

* * *

Chapter 87 (Pool Bet)

Jeremy, Freddie, and Mason all stood around the pool table, chalking their sticks. Outside of the house, the girls were sitting on the back patio, taking in the sun. Both Jeremy and Jessica felt it was great to have their friends there, though they weren't always around them, for obvious reasons. They'd been there so far for about four days and were having the time of their life. "Okay, rack them up, Freddie." Freddie nodded and set his stick on the edge of the pool table and started pulling the balls from the pockets.

"Eight Ball, right?" Mason asked as he set the chalk on the polished wood.

"Yeah, we're doing eight ball." Freddie set the triangle in location and started neatly putting the balls in order. His thoughts weren't too on the game, he was thinking about this whole military game. He enjoyed playing baseball, and Jeremy did tell him that the military had baseball teams and stuff if that was ever an issue for him, but maybe baseball really wasn't for him. Jeremy informed him that while he had a degree in professional sports, the military did have some technical schools and whatnot that they could send him to and he could start out in personnel or statistics. It was still a scary thought, though.

"Okay, I've racked them all up, let's do this." Freddie lifted the triangle off and set it aside. He would be shooting first. Jeremy and Mason watched closely as Freddie leaned over the cue ball and lined up his shot, watching closely as he hit the ball and broke the balls. Both he and Jeremy were very good at pool, almost equals. Jeremy's sniping experience helped him to line up the shots while Freddie used statistics and calculations. Freddie stood up as the balls scattered, but none went in. "All right, bro you're up."

"Now hold on a minute." Mason frowned as Jeremy placed his hand upon his shoulder and smirked, his eyes sparkling without thought. Freddie raised an eyebrow curiously as Jeremy walked forward. "A wager, if you will."

"What?" Freddie's heart pulsed as his eyes met Jeremy's wistful and calculating gaze. He had a strange feeling about what might be coming up. He didn't know what, but usually the look on Jeremy's face only occurred when he had a life changing thought. Now, if he wanted to make a wager, what on earth could that be other than what they'd been talking about for some time now. "Should I be concerned?" Mason watched the two, and deciding that he probably wouldn't be joining this game, took a seat in one of the chairs along the wall. Freddie was concerned more so now. "Mason?"

"Hey, I'm just a politician, not a ball shooter." Mason laughed and crossed his arms. He had graduated with a degree in politics and had _several_ connections within the political world. He wanted to shoot high. Seattle was falling a bit with the recent mayors and the state wasn't much better off, so he wanted to rise up and fix things. They'd been getting younger and younger with their mayors, so maybe by the time he hit thirty, he could become one. Nowadays, everyone seemed to have high goals in life. Jeremy peered over at him, then back to Freddie as he stepped at the other end of the table and set his chalk down. Freddie knew politicians often played games, so somehow, he got the sinking suspicion that Mason knew what was about to go down.

"Okay Benson, here's the gameplay. You and I are pretty good pool shooters, you've got a _very_ statistical mind, and I like that. Even General Trent thinks you'd be great for the army."

"Yeah but what can I do? I don't even have a degree the army can use!"

"Doesn't matter." Jeremy shrugged as he eyed the balls for a moment, then looked back into Freddie's eyes. "Like I say, we still have technical schools and whatnot. Besides, no matter what you've got, the military will find _something_ for you, and you don't _have_ to be out on the battlefield seeing all that death and fighting." He walked around the table and began eyeing each ball. Freddie watched him closely, he knew what Jeremy was doing. He was calculating his next move, that was how the military person worked, they always calculated their next move, and then the move after that. "So here's the name of the game. A bet. My sister in law tells me how you could never resist a bet when you were younger." Freddie snapped his fingers and his eyes shot to the side.

"Damn it, I'm going to have to tell Mel to stop letting her sister discuss old secrets." Jeremy laughed richly and leaned against the table. Freddie looked to Jeremy and relaxed his body, he let out a long, drawn out sigh and closed his eyes. "So you want to make a bet involving this pool game, don't you?" Jeremy grinned brightly and pat Freddie on the shoulder.

"You figured that out so quickly. Hell, Mason even said I should do this." Freddie shot his eyes to his twin, and Mason shrugged his shoulders and smiled innocently. He knew he was in trouble after this, but it was worth it to see something happen for his brother. "But yes, here's the plan. A bet. I win, you join the military and we send you into a tech school or something of your choosing. You win, you don't have to join the military if you don't want to, but just remember that the choice is always there." Freddie narrowed his gaze as Mason chuckled and pushed himself from his seat. Jeremy glanced over to see the twin grab his beer and drink a little of it, sigh and then look back at him with a grin. "Don't worry, Mason didn't have much to do in the play."

"Yeah, I just suggested it. You know how to sell a point, Jeremy. You would have been a good politician, you know."

"Yeah well I'm not a politician, I'm an army officer." Mason shrugged and returned to his seat.

"Just saying."

"So anyway Freddie, what do you say?" Jeremy returned his gaze to Freddie, who seemed deeply pondering this thought. If he were to join the military, it would be a great way to support a family. Jeremy was in it and he was still able to play baseball. Being in the military didn't stop anything from being a possibility. He could most definitely enjoy being a part of something greater, but still was not sure. Did he wish to put it all on one game, though? If Jeremy beat him, he'd join the military regardless. Could he really beat statistical playing, though? Determination filled Freddie's eyes and he quickly took Jeremy's hand in a firm handshake.

"You're on." Jeremy smirked as he walked around and leaned over the cue ball.

"Great!" Jeremy lined his sight up with the nine ball. Freddie cleared his throat and watched intensely as Jeremy hit the ball. He coughed when the ball hit a group of three balls and sent them each into separate pockets. Jeremy smirked and stood straight, eyeing Freddie closely. "Well, looks like I'll be solids."

"You sound so triumphant. You haven't won yet…"

"Oh we'll see about that, Freddie."

Jeremy chuckled and leaned back over the cue ball, lining his sights up once more. The game droned on, they decided to do three rounds and were on their final round, with just the eight ball left. Mason had fallen asleep in his chair and the girls had come up during the second round and were informed on what was going on. This was intense and both Freddie and Jeremy were tied up. Jeremy had won the first round, Freddie won the second, and now it was all down to this last ball. Freddie had the eight ball left, Jeremy had the three ball and the eight ball.

Lindsey shook Mason awake and he cleared his throat, straightening himself and eyeing the two players. He grinned and crossed his arms over, he did _not_ want to miss this. Currently Jeremy was talking with Jessica, so Freddie leaned against the table, it was his shot but he would wait till Jeremy was watching.

He decided that he did want to go into the military, but for the fun of the bet, he wanted to go all the way. Honestly, he didn't know who would win, because with Jeremy, it was hard to see what would happen. Freddie placed the stick behind his neck and stretched as Jeremy kissed Jessica and walked back over to the table. "You done kissing your lady or not?" Jeremy lifted his eyebrows and smirked.

"You done believing you're about to win, or not?" Freddie scoffed and pointed his stick to the eight ball, showing just how many he had left.

"That's the _only_ ball I've got. Let's see if I'm 'destined' to go into the military, Jeremy." Jeremy huffed and leaned against his stick, smirking still.

"Talk all you want, but pretty soon, you'll be calling me your superior." Freddie rolled his eyes and looked at the table. He rubbed his chin and examined the location. The eight ball was positioned right in the middle of the side wall, in between the two corner pockets and next to the side pocket.

He leaned over the cue ball and narrowed his eyes. There wasn't any way to hit the eight ball into the side, so he had to go towards the corners nearest him, as he couldn't hit it into the further corners. His best bet would be to bounce the ball off the side at a sixty five degree angle. He didn't want to hit it too hard, as he was almost certain that could lead to trouble, so he hit the cue a bit lighter. It collided with the eight ball and sent it in the desired angle Freddie wanted.

Mason's eyebrows rose as he stared at the table, the eight ball didn't make it. It slowed and stopped right in front of the three ball, which was in front of the other corner. Freddie's cue had bounced into one of the pockets, which meant Jeremy could place it anywhere. Seeing this, Freddie cursed and walked away. "Shit!" Where did he go wrong? His calculations should not have failed him!

Jeremy pat his shoulder and grabbed the cue from the pocket. "It's all in good sport, Freddie. Believe me, you did your best." Freddie leaned against a counter and gave Jeremy a dry look.

"You haven't won yet."

"Oh we'll see." Jeremy placed the cue directly behind the eight ball and grinned as he leaned over the table. Everybody watched with gripping silence as he eyed his shot and examined the table, he was extremely confident in his next move. Ramping up with desired power, he hit the cue ball, sending both the three ball and the eight ball, in that order, into the pocket. Freddie's eyes widened as the cue started rolling. Jeremy tightened his hand around the stick and watched anxiously as the cue teetered the edge. "Come on…come on…" After a second, the cue stopped and rolled backwards an inch. Jeremy laughed and cheered, Freddie smiled. "Welcome to the army, Freddie."

"Yeah, it was a good game, Jeremy." Freddie closed his eyes and smiled as he and Jeremy exchanged a firm handshake. "I'm proud to join, and I'm still not sure what I want to do. I think I wouldn't mind being trained as an engineer or something."

"We'll find something for you, Freddie. You'll make a fine soldier, or at least, that's what General Trent says." Melanie walked over to Freddie and tapped his shoulder. He turned to her, his eyes beaming. She placed her arms around his neck and grinned.

"I'm proud of you, Freddie."

"Well, at least you can't say I'm not part of your extensive military family, right?" He grinned sheepishly and Melanie giggled as she kissed his lips. She was honored to know that she would be the wife of a military man. Sam might be jealous, but then, she might not. Either way, she made the right decision.

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I probably won't do a lot with Freddie in the military, but yeah. This was an added chapter so there's now about 93 chapters total. I think I'm just going to update a few because I'm wanting to get done with this and start the sequel pretty soon here.


	88. Becoming a Father

Boarded

Disclaimer: I do not own iCarly!

A/N:

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Chapter 88 (Becoming a Father)

January 1st, 2018, two men paced the floor of a hospital room anxiously. Their families sat around them, becoming just a tad agitated watching the pacing, but saying nothing. The honeymoon had done its work, Lindsey and Jessica were in neighboring delivery rooms. They _both_ had to step outside of the delivery room for a minute, but Jeremy could at least boast that he wasn't about to faint like Mason. However, he had turned a little green. It was peculiar to him, that he was such a tough guy, yet he had trouble with the simplest of things, such as blood. It was embarrassing for him, but Jessica always loved how 'sensitive' he was. Freddie, Melanie, Sam, Gibby, and all of the parents sat around the waiting room, which seemed basically designated for them, since there were no strangers there, and stared at the two men. Jeremy stopped pacing and leaned his back against the wall while rubbing his neck anxiously. He and Jessica were having a son, and they still weren't sure what they were going to name the child. Mason, on the other hand, was having a daughter who they were naming Melissa, based off a childhood friend of Lindsey's.

General Trent walked up to Jeremy and placed his firm hand on his shoulder, smiling gently. Jeremy's nervous eyes moved over to his and he caught his breath. "You have made me a proud man, my boy. You don't know how much a grandchild means to me and my wife. I just didn't think you'd get my daughter pregnant during the first few weeks of your marriage." Jeremy chuckled once and looked to the delivery room door, he wanted to head back in at some point of time. They were going to wheel Lindsey into Jessica's room when they were done, so the whole family could be together. "Either way, I'm happy enough to be a grandfather. Didn't know _when_ that day would come." John glanced to the side to see Janet walking up to him. She smiled and placed her soft hand on his shoulder and he quickly shut up.

"John dear, the boy is nervous enough. Let him be." She looked to Jeremy and held her kindred smile. "So tell me, does my grandson have a name yet?"

"Oh you tell me to stop pestering him and then you start digging into him with the questions?" Jeremy arched an eyebrow as Janet slowly turned to John, still holding her smile. In truth, when she did that, it scared the hell out of him.

"Why of course, because he'll listen to me and won't be as nervous as you're making him." Jeremy looked over to Mason, who currently couldn't stop snickering. He was lucky that his in-law wasn't pestering him so much. Catherine was more of a calm and subdued woman, surprisingly enough. Though the time he and Lindsey separated and got back together, she did tell him if he hurt Lindsey again, then he would suffer a great penalty, to which Grissom suggested Mason take the advice to heart.

The other parents were watching their kids like hawks, but who could deny the brilliance of what looked like the Rugrats in the making. Five year old Savanna led the two nearly two year old children, Max and Derek, all over the waiting room. Even Valerie was there with her children, seven year old Rachel and four year old Ryan. There was so much activity that this was nearly a family reunion. Nobody wanted to miss the births taking place. Jeremy looked down as Max and Derek ran in between his legs. He chuckled as Sam and Melanie tried to gain control of their sons, but they were too intent on catching up with Savanna, who was turning out to be a natural runner like her father. Savanna laughed as she ran to the other side of the room, she was having way too much fun with these kids. Rachel sighed and left her mom's side, figuring as the oldest kid in the room, they would have to listen to her.

"Stop running all over the place!" Rachel placed her hands upon the boy's shoulders and they moaned as she held them in place. She had her mom's gentle nature, but her father's more abrupt, no holds barred personality. When she was serious, she meant business. "This is serious, there are new babies coming into the family today! We have to be more relaxed so our moms and dads don't get stressed out too much, okay?" Savanna walked up to the kids and crossed her arms, smirking slightly.

"I still at least outran them."

"Yeah, well they're too excited." Savanna closed her eyes and nodded, agreeing wholeheartedly with Rachel.

"Well where's your brother at? Have them play with him." It was a good idea. Ryan was playing a hospital game console, a Mario racing game, in the corner of the waiting room. It was a multiplayer, so Max and Derek should have plenty of fun learning from him. She looked over at Ryan and called his name. He froze and looked over, having a general idea of what was about to happen.

"Ryan, I want you to teach Max and Derek how to play that game you're playing, okay?" He couldn't object, because whenever his sister decided on something, it was law. He shrugged as Rachel motioned the two boys over to her brother. "Max, Derek, Ryan's going to teach you to play this Mario Kart game. You two have fun, okay?" The boys nodded and walked over as Ryan flipped the game to its main menu. Savanna chuckled and gave Rachel a curious look.

"How do you _do _that?"

"Do what?"

"It's like you command their attention or something."

"I don't know, I guess I'm just good…" She wondered if it had anything to do with her dad being a doctor and her mom being a chef at this really popular Italian restaurant chain. Probably not, but she could hope. At least she would always be secure medically and be capable of eating great food. "I think mommy and daddy are raising me right, whatever that means." Savanna tapped her chin and smiled lightly, she liked Rachel a lot and she wanted to have a good friend. Perhaps Rachel would be a good friend.

"Hey, you want to be friends?"

"Sure!"

"Okay, so we're friends."

"Okay." The girls smiled and hugged each other, breaking apart only when a beeping sound was heard. They saw Lindsey being moved into Jessica's room and the two men following quickly. "The babies must have arrived!"

"Mommy says that it's a bird or something that brings the baby. I never saw any bird! I think I was cheated out, here!" Rachel blinked and laughed. She didn't believe the bird story, but she didn't really know _how_ the babies came. She knew, from seeing her baby brother born, that there was no such thing as a bird putting a baby inside her mother's belly. Now the question was, how did her father do it?

"Mom and Dad say we'll learn about these things when we're older. I honestly don't see why we have to wait." Savanna shrugged as the parents all exchanged amused expressions.

Inside the delivery room was filled with the beautiful sound of a newborn's first cry. Jeremy and Mason were at their woman's side, holding their hands as their babies were placed into the mothers' arms. The families soon entered when the doctors told them they were allowed to, but they didn't crowd the new parents, because it would have been better to give them space. The young children were in awe of the babies while the adults fawned over the newborns. Lindsey let Catherine hold her granddaughter, and the normally stern woman was brought to tears at how wonderful this child was. Freddie was proud to be an uncle, and swore to be there for the children as much as he could be.

General Trent and his wife stood behind Jeremy's chair as he sat and wrapped his arm around Jessica's shoulders. His son's eyes were all over the room, he recognized his mother and he recognized his father with ease. As for the strangers, he knew they were his family. Jeremy's breath was gone as he slowly moved his hand to his son and felt the newborn's almost ironclad grip around his index finger. Jessica smiled with tears in her eyes as Jeremy seemed to shake. It was finally hitting him hard, he was a father now. He was a _father_, he had a responsibility to this son. His heart was swelling with every second that he gazed into this child's eyes. General Trent smiled at his wife, who returned a knowing glance, while Jessica watched Jeremy happily. They all knew what was happening inside him, they all knew the instant bond that was being created at this very minute.

"Take your son, Jeremy." Jeremy felt his father in law's hand come to rest on his shoulder and he slowly cradled the newborn baby in his arms as he took his seat. His eyes never left his son's. This son would look up to him, this child would need his father.

_"Hey little guy, I'm your dad…" _Jeremy blinked away a tear as everyone watched him. The baby continued to gaze, as though he understood something. He began to feel warmth, a sense of pride. He looked up, his eyes wide. "What is that I feel?" He met the General's gaze curiously and felt the elder's warm smile.

"That's the pride of holding your child for the very first time. How does it feel, Lieutenant? Jeremy?" Jeremy looked back to his son's wondrous eyes, they were deep brown, much like his father's had been. He smiled as the baby cooed and gripped his finger.

_"Tough little guy, huh? You're going to take after daddy, I bet. I'm always going to be here for you, my son…"_ Son. It felt so great to say that word. Son, Father, those were very powerful words to him. The tears continued to strike his cheeks, he couldn't shake them. _"I keep my words, and I promise you this, both you and your mother…_" He breathed in and swore if the feeling inside him rose anymore, he'd probably collapse. This was the greatest moment of his life. "I promise to be the best husband and father I can be…no matter what."

David and John grinned, beaming with pride, it seemed Jeremy finally understood how much it meant to be a dad. The baby cooed with happiness and the pride shone off Jeremy's face. He didn't want to play baseball anymore, he wanted to be sure he would always be there for his children. He'd play for a few more years, to give the Rangers more than just two years. That's at least what Jessica wanted, him to play for a few years. _"It's time to settle down. I'll make a career out of the military. I'll do whatever I can to make my family happy and to raise them right."_ Jessica leaned in close and rested her head upon Jeremy's shoulder, gazing with joy at her baby boy as she wrapped one arm around him. The baby looked at her and cooed once more.

"Tyler," she said with certainty.

"Huh?" Jeremy blinked and glanced at her momentarily, why did she say his father's name? Jessica lightly kissed the infant's forehead and met Jeremy's eyes.

"His name will be Tyler. Tyler Augustus Lance. It is decided, mommy's word is final." He chuckled and closed his eyes, her choice of name was pretty good. "Today is January 1st, the first day of a brand new year. We will raise him right and he will be perfect in every way. We will love him the way parents should love a child, for always and forever." Yes, she was right, they would do exactly that. He met his son's eyes and smiled brightly.

"You see this woman right here, Tyler? This special lady who just spent several hours bringing you into this world? This is your mother, and I love this woman just as much as I love you, son." He was scared, but he knew he could do it. He had a responsibility, and he would make damn sure that his family had a good life.

* * *

So Jeremy becomes a father himself and realizes the importance of being a father. In the sequel, I will be calling him Ty for certain reasons.


	89. A Sister's Feelings

Boarded

Disclaimer: I do not own iCarly!

A/N: This will be the last update today, I'll update the rest tomorrow most likely. The next chapter is entitled "Stricken" and is a very tough chapter, but shows the strength of a family.

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Chapter 89 (A Sister's Feelings)

A year later, on her fourteenth birthday, Brandy Matthews was seated at her family table with her adoptive mother and father, Candice and Brandon. She watched her five year old brother run around the kitchen crazily. She smiled and rested her head upon her hand. She wished she had some older siblings, or siblings closer to her age, but her adoptive parents were really young when they adopted her. Hell, she didn't even remember much of her life before the foster care before adoption and thought for sure she'd have a younger sibling at the time of adoption, but that didn't happen.

Eight years, eight years and she didn't remember her birth family. She never really thought about them. Sometimes she had dreams, dreams where a cloaked stranger would sail away with them on a canoe, leaving her behind. The ones she called mom and dad, she never wanted to burden them with questions about her family, she didn't want them to think she wanted to be with them or anything. Her boyfriend often told her it was okay to talk to them, to ask, that they might know.

She glanced to the bathroom door as her boyfriend came out of the bathroom. She smiled as Guppy pat his hands together, drying them off. He walked over to Brandy and pulled a rose from his leather jacket. "Anyway Brandy, here's your birthday rose. Happy Birthday." She blushed and took the flower, sniffing it as he took his seat next to her. Candice and Brandon smiled at the two, they were happy that Brandy was so happy in her life. She kissed him on the cheek and rested her head upon his shoulder, glad to have him there with her. She then straightened herself in her seat and placed her hands in her lap. Guppy looked at her with a smile, knowing full well what she was about to do.

"Mom, Dad, I have something I want to talk about, if you don't mind." The two looked over and smiled at her, always eager to talk. She was able to go to them about anything, and that was what was important, more than anything. She took Guppy's hand and he squeezed it softly, letting her know it was okay and that he was going to be right there for her the entire way. "You remember eight years ago, right? When you guys adopted me?" The two parents nodded their heads carefully, unsure of what she was going to ask. If she asked about her family, about her brother, then what would they say? What could anybody say about the boy? He was insane, basically. They didn't want her to know he was crazy, but if she did ask, then it would be expected that she'd want the entire truth. "What was my family like back then, if you remember them at all? I remember Guppy telling me at one point eight years ago, it was believed that my brother tried to blow up his family's mailbox…"

"Uh…" Brandon frowned and Candice slowly closed her eyes. It would be best to tell her, to be honest, but she didn't want there to be any problems. She leaned forward and cupped Brandy's hands in hers, staring directly into her daughter's eyes. "Brandy dear…I imagine you want the truth, and I'm going to tell you everything you need to know, okay? Whatever you want to know…" Brandy smiled slightly and slowly nodded her head. "Are you prepared for it, though?"

"Yeah, just tell me about them, please…I want to know what they were like…I want to know how I was adopted." She barely even remembered the social workers coming into the house. If she had remembered that, would it have made a difference? Maybe not. "If you don't want to, you don't have to. I don't need to know, I can always find out when I'm older, right?"

"Yes, but I will tell you." Candice breathed in slowly and closed her eyes. "I don't know much about your parents, but I know your grandparents, and even your great grandmother. I've met them once many years ago. They regretted being unable to take you in, for around that time your grandparents were just going overseas for a religious mission and your great grandmother…well she's in a nursing home. I haven't seen or heard from them since then." Brandy felt her heart slowly sink, she would love to meet her relatives. Her grandparents would be at least eighty now, she knew that much. It was hard, but she could at least recall somewhere within the ballpark of their ages. "Your Uncle and Aunt…" Candice closed her eyes as Brandy's lip began to quiver and her body tense.

"Say it…where are they?" She never remembered her uncle. At least for her Aunt, she could see a face, but nothing where her uncle was concerned. "I think my uncle died before I was born…"

"Yes. He died in the terrorist attacks back in 2001." Brandy's eyes widened and she bit her lower lip. Sadness rushed over her and she slowly shook her head. Nearly twenty years since the attacks, America was mostly over it. The whole thing was mentioned on occasion, but Brandy often wished it would just be forgotten. "Your aunt committed suicide shortly after Nevel's death…an exact year, actually, of the day of his death."

"Nevel?"

"He was your cousin, Brandy. Nevel Papperman was your cousin." She gasped and covered her mouth, she remembered him now. Granted she couldn't remember much, but she would often remember playing out with him in the yard, both he and her older brother. The two loved fireworks and would always let her watch so she could see them show off. He was dead? Nobody ever told her that, her brother had simply told her that he'd gone away and wasn't coming back. She closed her eyes and tears stung the corners as her body started to shake. Guppy squeezed her hand as Candice frowned, feeling bad for her daughter. "Brandy, are you okay?"

"Nobody…Nobody ever told me my cousin had died. Why did my brother lie to me about that?" She opened her eyes and gazed pleadingly into Candice's. She wanted to know why her brother felt the need to tell her something that wasn't the truth. "Why? Why did he…"

"I think maybe…he was protecting you."

"Protecting me? How the hell is that protecting me?" While she became angrier, Candice did her best to remain calm. It was the best thing _to_ do at this moment.

"Candice, do you know what happened to your parents? To your cousin?" She swallowed hard as Brandy wiped her eyes and shook her head.

"Not really…I just have dreams…Don't hold back, please mom. Talk to me…"

"Okay sweetie…" Candice closed her eyes tightly and tried to think of a light response. Brandy did not need details, she needed answers. "Your mom and dad…Nevel too…were all killed in 2011. Murdered…they had to 'pay a price' for somebody's sin…" Brandy gasped and covered her mouth with her hands. Who's sin? What had happened?

"Why would someone kill them? What did they do to deserve it?"

"Nothing. They did nothing at all…"

"Then _why?_" Brandon started to clear the table off, deciding that right now it was Candice who knew more than he did. And she did, but she would also be the best person to comfort Brandy right now. Guppy continued to sit next to her, comforting her, guiding her. Candice moved her eyes to the side and tried hard to think. There was no justification for the act, there was no reason. She was surprised Brandy didn't know everything that had taken place. Lenny may have lied to protect her, or maybe he just simply lied because he didn't want to admit that he was the reason for his family's death.

"Because of something your older brother had done…" Brandy's eyes widened and she slowly moved back into the chair. Now it was time to get to who her brother was, to who Lenny really was. She just wasn't sure she _wanted _to know now, but she needed to.

"Tell me all about Lenny, mom…I can't remember him…" She may have blocked him out of her mind when she was younger, blaming him for a lot of things. She did remember an old internal struggle, so perhaps that was the case, perhaps she _didn't_ want to remember, but now she needed to. Candice looked at her, hoping the girl was ready to hear this. Brandy's eyes revealed the answer, and so she would explain everything to her. She hated to have to tell her, but it was the only way, and she would have to figure out a way to cope with the news.

Two days later, Brandy was standing in the middle of a seemingly rundown cemetery. Her face was long and hard, and in front of her was her brother's grave. It was covered in weeds and was clearly not cleaned up regularly. Who would clean his grave, with the involvement he had in those horrible events eight years ago? It was still not fair, and obviously he had no visitors. "Jeremy and Jessica were right, brother. When mom went to them…they told her she shouldn't compare herself to you, she shouldn't feel guilty, and that she was nothing like you. She wasn't." What could she say for her brother? For a man who terrorized an innocent girl, preyed upon an innocent family, caused his own family to go to ruin, and never _once_ stopped to think about the road he was on, despite several warnings which grew worse and worse. "It was only a matter of time before Mr. Puckett caught up with you again. You just _had_ to try and take her…"

She scoffed and looked up into the sky, a tear fell from her face. One day, one day she wanted to meet Carly Shay, but not now. "She did what was best for me, I see that now, Lenny. They saved me from the inevitable. I always thought…I always thought different." Slowly she knelt beside his grave and tore the weeds and thicket from his marker. "You were an asshole, you were an idiot, you let your obsession get in the way of your own damn life. Your obsession cost us our _family_, brother! Our mom, our dad, our cousin…they all died _because of you! _How can I forgive that? Should I even forgive that?"

Slowly, she took a deep breath and opened the box that was next to her. She pulled out a brush, a spray bottle and a rag. She brushed what she could from his grave marker, making sure to get into the crevices and every crack there was. "I shouldn't. I should just curse you, I should just damn you for what you did." Wiping away her tears, she sobbed once and sprayed down his marker with the water. She then carefully, silently, wiped it with the rag. "I should probably hate you, I know. For making me be the only one left in our family...Eight years is a long fucking time, Lenny. Anyone else might just shatter your grave. Yet here I am, cleaning it. Forgiving you…why?"

She closed her eyes and rose to her feet, eyeing the markers next to his. They were of their parents. Nevel's was elsewhere, but she had found it. Each of their markers _had_ been taken care of, but it was clear that no family members had ever really come by. "So I'm the first relative…Grandma and Grandpa, we don't even know where the hell they are. I know Grandma was born in 1941 and Grandpa in '39, so they're pretty old now. Even our great grandmother's still alive, _maybe_. My parents now…they haven't seen any of them, or heard from them, in eight years…I think they were on a mission in another country for a few years. Hopefully I might see them again."

She felt a rush of wind breeze upon her, perhaps a sign that Lenny was there. If she were like Victoria, then she would see that he was behind her, tears in his eyes, and with a red aura. He'd been denied the right to ever see his family again, that was his punishment upon entrance to the gates of hell. It did soothe him at least, to see that he had been wrong about Brandy, she would not forget him, nor hate him. He'd purposely come back and erased some of those memories and had been rebuked for doing so, but it came to no surprise that she regained them. He watched as she stared at the grave for nearly ten minutes, just standing there, letting the wind touch her.

"I'm sorry, Brandy…for not being there…for not being the brother I should have been. I know I went too far, and if I could take it all back…I would. I deserved what I got, but you never deserved any of it…" She clenched her eyes shut and held her arms, sobbing bitterly. She coughed once and put the edge of her palm to her eyes, trying to wipe away or prevent the tears. Lenny wanted to remove those tears, but he couldn't. Hell, he was already breaking his penalty by even being within her presence. "Fucking fits. Alive, I get a restraining order placed against me for Jessica and her family…in death…a restraining order against me for my own family." He closed his eyes and sighed heavily.

"I feel you Lenny, it's like you're right here with me, but I don't know if you are or not." She looked up to the sky and pushed her hands into her pockets. "I don't know that I should believe there's a god up there at all, but I can't deal with thinking that our family wouldn't be where they are."

"Oh believe me…" Lenny frowned and glanced to the side. "There's a God, there's also Satan. You might want to believe in God, so you don't have to meet the other guy. Just saying…"

"I have a little brother now, Lenny." Lenny smiled cheerfully and folded his arms over. At least she was living her life, at least she seemed to be having a happy life. "He's five years old. I also have a little sister who was born a couple years ago. When I'm eighteen, she'll be the age I was when you were eighteen." She eyed the headstone and swallowed hard, those dates could never leave her mind. _Lenny Siball: July 1, 1993-June 26, 2011_. "Guess you didn't quite make it to eighteen. At least…if I was ever in your shoes, I would take care of my little siblings. But I understand that you weren't of the right mindset, and therefore I do forgive you. I have a good boyfriend now, though he is usually a little self conscious because of who his sister-in-law is."

"So Jeremy and Jessica married, huh?" Lenny rolled his eyes and crossed his arms. Go figure, he should have known they'd get together. He couldn't deny, however, how much of a perfect match for each other they were. "You probably discovered I tried to kill both Jeremy and Sam. Definitely didn't go over well…I'm sorry, Brandy. I made bad choices in life, and now I'm paying for those choices in eternity. Thanks for showing me some mercy…at least I can have that to fall back on…" Lenny tried to give her a brotherly hug, but he merely passed through her. Sighing, he shrugged and started to vanish. "Goodbye sis, stay happy…I do love you and I do wish you the best."

Brandy rubbed her arms and gazed around curiously, having felt the sudden blast of cold air, seemingly out of nowhere. Had he really been there? No. He couldn't have, she just didn't think it was a possibility. She turned around and looked to the gates of the cemetery, her parents were there with their car. She waved at them and smiled, ready to head back home. She felt that a considerable weight had been lifted from her shoulders. At the very least, maybe her brother could rest in peace along with her family. After setting a few meaningful flowers upon his grave, she took one last, wistful glance, and then walked to her family's car.

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So enjoy Stricken, the next chapter, and then we begin getting into the future just a little. Chapter 93 should be the final of this story, and then we'll have the sequel


	90. Race Against Time: A Trailer

Boarded

Disclaimer: I do not own iCarly!

A/N: This is a trailer, I have not begun the sequel to BOARDED yet, but this is to get you excited about it at least. This is the trailer, please enjoy.

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Chapter X (Trailer)

_A President with moral values, one of the greatest presidents in history._

Mason Benson stood at his podium during a press conference. "I foresee for this country, a stronghold! America _will_ return to the land that our founding fathers once envisioned. America _will_ remain strong within our borders. We will fear no terror, we will fear nothing and we will not falter in our goals! I foresee for this country, a _change_, a change that has been coming for a long time."

_ Someone threatens the very line of succession, terrorism within our very borders attacks the president's cabinet._

Melanie screamed as she felt herself thrown into the back of some vehicle. Freddie was next to her and Mason was unconscious in between them, all of them had blindfolds on. "Freddie? Freddie are you here?"

"I'm here Mel, just relax. It's going to be okay. I don't know what's going on, but we're going to make it." They'd just been eating lunch with Mason and now this happened? Where were they going? What would they do?

_Could the enemy be from inside the President's trusted? Could the enemy be within his own cabinet? Whoever's in charge leads the world's worst biker gang, thus creating chaos within the nation's borders._

Melissa Benson watched feverishly as she saw her father on the news. How was she handling this so well? She and her mother were on the run, but they had to remain hidden. She ran from the building she was in, receiving a distress call from her mother, but soon found herself surrounded by members of the Hells Angels. Swallowing nervously, she stepped back, screaming as she backed into one of the thugs. "Look what we have here, it's the president's daughter."

"Don't hurt me!"

_The Military, Secret Service, and the FBI are ordered by the president to stand down, to rescue his cabinet members first._

"How long do we have?" Sam asked as she and Jeremy walked down the cold corridor. Behind her were her were two officers. Behind Jeremy were a couple lower ranked military officers.

"I was told we have an hour to find the Secretary of Agriculture before he is gassed…" Jeremy replied with a hardened face. Sam tensed her muscles and growled sharply.

"Shit, how the hell are we supposed to find him in that amount of time? Where do we look? National landmarks?"

"We could try…"

"I wish they'd leave clues!"

_Amid the struggle, the President's brother must keep the calm while remaining calm himself, but can the captives really remain calm in such a crisis?_

Freddie shoved a large, hairy man to the side as Mason and Melanie look up at him. "Do not touch my wife, do not touch my brother, do I make myself perfectly clear?" The man growled and Mason placed his hand upon Freddie's shoulder.

"Please Freddie, do not agitate them."

"Agitate? The man hit my wife!"

"Yes, and you have every right to be pissed, but we don't have the time to mess with them, or they might kill us sooner. They needs me alive, but you and Melanie aren't important to them, they don't care about you. Plus, don't you see how scared your wife is? Please remain calm…if anything, for her…"

_Amid the national crisis, General Lance's children find themselves amid trouble along with the child of Jonah, Sam's son, Freddie's daughter, and Victoria William's daughter._

"This was why I didn't want to come with you guys!" Denise shouted at the others. They were trapped in a basement. She hated having her mother's ability to communicate with spirits. "You didn't think there was a _reason_ Sunset Valley was the only place in the country, no…the _world_, with ambrosia? You didn't think their greedy ass mayor would want to keep this secret to herself?" Jackie Lance stood up and sighed, trying to relax.

"Calm down. Ty and the others are coming, I'm sure of it. It will be okay. We'll get out of this."

"How will we get out of this? The FBI's not coming, the military sure as hell isn't coming, _we're in a national crisis and your dad's too busy trying to save the country to save his children!"_

"That's not true! Besides, big brother's coming!"

"And that makes us even _more_ fucked!"

_A hunt to save their siblings before it's too late_

"Mom and Dad are not going to be happy with this," Rachel said as she and Ty drove through the streets of Sunset Valley. Ty growled and narrowed his eyes.

"I'm going to give Jackie the riot act, since she's the one who drove them here. What the hell was she thinking? This ambrosia stuff is crap!" In the back, Max was fuming over the words he'd told his younger brother.

"I told Chuck to leave it alone, I told him not to come here. This place may be good, but that mayor…when I asked mom about Mayor Alto, she ran the name through the FBI files and told me that the woman wasn't good news…"

"Okay that's it, why can't people learn to listen to their older siblings?"

"Good question."

_A secret recipe, secret fish, secret fruit, found in Sunset Valley, protected by a shrewd mayor. Eight teenagers stumble upon it in search of knowing their grandfather. _

Jackie lifted the body of her grandfather, with the help of her brother, William. He wasn't that heavy. She didn't know if he was alive or not, but that was definitely real flesh she was feeling. He was unconscious now, after eating the ambrosia that Raven had prepared, a natural cook just like her mother. "Can you believe that really worked?"

"Oh I can," spoke a sinister voice. The group turned around to see a woman with grey hair spiraling a bit above her hair. Her sharp eyes seemed to pierce into their souls. Around her were several police officers. Jackie's eyes widened as she looked around to see her younger siblings knocked out. "Now if you'll come with me, please. We don't need this getting out…"

"No, leave them out of this!" She dropped her grandfather's body on the ground, he wasn't that old looking, just as he looked before death. She started to attack the woman, but soon found her vision fading to dark. She let out a loud shout and collapsed on the ground.

_Alive again, taking this opportunity for a second chance, he would protect his family._

Tyler Elliot stood in front of his granddaughter, finding it difficult to actually stand on his own two feet after so many years. What was he doing alive? What had they fed him? He should be in heaven, partying with the spirits. Maybe there was a reason for this. "Don't you dare lay a hand on my granddaughter, you witch. _My_ flesh and blood!" Vita Alto narrowed her eyes and stared at Tyler. Did this man not know who she was? How absurd.

"You don't even know what you're doing standing before me. I have plenty of scientists ready to research you, Mr. Elliot."

"Go to hell!"

"Oh I've been there, believe me. You think you're the only spirit brought to life by the ambrosia?" She cackled as Tyler clenched his fists. He didn't even remember being dead, it was all like a dream. He'd missed too much. He remembered some things, such as talking to his son as a ghost, but that was about it. Vita placed her hand to Tyler's cheek and smiled sinisterly. "Don't worry handsome one, I shall leave your precious grandchild alone…for now."

"Get your fucking paws off me." He glared vehemently at her and she cackled once more, turning away and leaving her basement.

_A rough and proud military general finds himself seeing something he never imagined was possible. _

"Dad?" Jeremy's eyes were large as his children walked in with none other than his father. Jessica's jaw dropped and her husband stumbled back. Tyler's sad eyes met his son's and his lips curled into a slight smile.

"Hey son." Jessica watched as her husband's eyes rolled to the back of his head and he collapsed into the ground.

_ The clock is ticking, the race begins. The days are numbered for the members of the presidential cabinet in this exciting, shocking, and action filled tale. America meets its greatest challenge yet in "A Race Against Time". Prepare yourselves for something like you've never seen before._

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Now that's the trailer for the sequel, I know you'll enjoy it when it comes out XD. Anyway, chapters 90-93 will come up and that will be the end of BOARDED. I just wanted to put this trailer out (also wanted an even number of chapters on this thing).

Now that you've seen the trailer, prepare for the final four chapters of BOARDED. Chapters 90-93 are coming your way. For the record, if you're unsure what Ambrosia is or who Vita Alto is, look up The Sims 3.


	91. Stricken

Boarded

Disclaimer: I do not own iCarly!

A/N:

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Chapter 90 (Stricken)

Jonah walked with his daughter through the old park that he and his father used to go to. Like when he was young, collecting pinecones was their thing to do with one another. Ryan was more attached to his mother, and Rachel was your typical "Daddy's little girl". Savanna always wanted to join them whenever they went to the park, but she respected that it was Rachel's time with her father, she had plenty of other time in the world to be with her friend.

"Daddy, look at this one!" Jonah moved his eyes to where Rachel was by the creek, she was holding up a perfectly round cone. It would look great in the 'cone pit' that was in the backyard. The pit was basically a square area of dirt, about ten feet by ten feet, with a border of monkey grass and a few daisies. This was the area they would neatly place all the cones that they'd use for whatever purpose. "This would look great with the Christmas decorations this year!" Christmas was, after all, just a month away.

"You're right sweetheart, it would look perfect if we painted it and whatnot." Jonah started walking towards her, she was up a hill just a bit, and as he walked he began to notice time almost slowing down around him. He swallowed hard as he put forth a strenuous effort to climb the hill. He'd been noticing a sense of fatigue in recent days, but instead of getting better, it seemed to get worse, and he was watching for the signs. Even on the way to the park, Rachel had commented on how pale he was looking and asked if he was feeling well. He recalled his parents' words so long ago, stating that while neither he, nor his children would have to deal with heart problems, aneurysms or even cancer, there would be one final scare for the Browns, and he was watching for it. Rachel watched her father place his hand on his side and breathe in sharply as he made his way to her. She met his eyes, her concern growing with each fevered pant. "Let me see the cone. We have to check for any kind of blemish or imperfection." She slowly nodded and handed him the pinecone. A lump was steadily forming in her throat as she watched her father inspect it.

"Daddy? Are you okay?" She knew well about the medical conditions facing her father and her family, he made it a goal not to hide it from his children and make sure they understood everything. Rachel, Ryan, and Valerie were and always had been perfectly healthy, their levels better than anything. As of the current moment, they were considered the least possible candidates for heart problems or cancer. Jonah, on the other hand, had been constantly monitored, just in case he might develop anything at all. He even became a doctor so that he could study both his mother's and his father's conditions, so he could help anyone who had them.

"Well…" His knees were aching, he had bruises in some odd parts of his body, and he'd been noticing over the past week reduction in weight. He could tell these were some of the early symptoms of Leukemia, the cancer that his mother had been stricken with. Right now, he was trying to diagnose himself, whether his trouble was his heart or possibly cancer, but he knew better than to do that. Doctors were always careful, though, they needed to select the best possible doctor for themselves. Who better than his close friend and mentor, the doctor who operated on both his mother and father, Doctor Paul Turner? He knew the signs better than anyone. "I'm sure it's no…" He stopped himself and looked to his daughter's fearsome eyes with a frown, he and Valerie made a commitment to _never_ hide anything from Rachel or Ryan. They deserved to know the truth and had been taught over the years how to handle a situation if something were to happen, but they never thought either child would be under ten years old.

"Daddy?" Rachel slowly set her cone pack on the ground, removing the strap from her shoulder. She swallowed hard and walked towards him, her heart's beating started to slow as she began holding her breath. She was waiting. She needed to be calm, not to panic if there were something seriously wrong. "Are you _okay_?" Jonah pressed his lips together and closed his hands, he could feel the sweat dripping down the back of his neck. He closed his eyes and felt his legs beginning to shake. He felt as though he would collapse at any minute. Rachel's eyes widened as he placed his hand to his chest, studying closely. It wasn't his heart, his doctor always said his heart was strong. If it wasn't his heart, and they knew he never had an aneurysm, then it was cancer. Without a doubt, he was developing cancer. He couldn't diagnose himself though, he knew what he was getting but he needed another doctor's second opinion. Slowly he breathed out and sat upon the grass. Rachel sat with him and quickly grabbed his hand. He felt horrible, that his young daughter had to be the one to have to deal with this.

"Rachel. I want you to take daddy's phone, I want you to call Doctor Turner, and tell him exactly what I tell you. Okay? He'll most likely send some paramedics for me, I need you to be as calm as you can be." With tears in her eyes, she did as he instructed, taking his cell phone and dialing the doctor. "I'm proud of you, okay? You're doing great so far…"

"Thank you, Daddy…" She waited for the kind elderly doctor. The man picked up after three rings. "Doctor Turner, it's Rachel." The doctor was surprised to hear the young girl's voice, rather than her father's. He knew immediately that something must be wrong if she was calling him. "We're at the usual park, Daddy's pale…" She looked to her father, who smiled at her with pride and continued briefing her on what to say. The doctor on the other end had grabbed a pen and paper to write everything down. "Daddy's breathing is off, his body's weak, and he says he's sure…he may be developing cancer. He needs to be examined right now."

"Okay, I'll send the paramedics. Do you need me to be on the line any longer?" If it was necessary to comfort the young girl, he would. Rachel looked to her father, who continued holding a calm expression. If he panicked, then there was a chance Rachel would panic, and that was not needed.

"Please send one quickly, I'm worried about daddy. I have to call Mommy, though…"

"Okay, you tell your mother that I will instruct the paramedics to the University of Washington Medical center where he will be treated." In all of Seattle, this hospital center was the best ranked and had its strong suit in Cancer treatment. "Don't worry Rachel, your father's going to be just fine, I promise that he will be seen by the best doctors and staff around." Rachel smiled and thanked him before hanging up, she knew Doctor Turner would be able to do it. Her entire family trusted this man more than any other, there really couldn't be a better doctor for Jonah. She looked to Jonah who gave her a brief nod and smiled at her.

"Rachel, I'm proud of you. You're doing great."

"Thank you, Daddy." She was taught that every moment, every second counted. Any minute lost could be a minute closer to death's door. It was a sad thing that she and Ryan had to learn about Death so early in their lives, but when their father was at risk of being a time bomb, then there really was no choice. "I'm going to call Mommy now." Jonah slowly nodded as Rachel dialed her mother's cell number. Even Valerie was prepared for this moment, she would be able to handle this better than Rachel, though the young girl was handling it fine as it was. She got her calm head from her mother, after all.

Valerie was in the middle of working on a brand new recipe for the restaurant she was managing. Her five year old son was in the living room playing with his toy cars. He knew to keep quiet while his mother worked, because she needed to have everything delicate and precise, otherwise she would have to start all over again. In extreme cases of emergencies, that was fine, but if it wasn't something important, she couldn't risk the slightest distraction. Thankfully, she wrote everything down. "Okay, now about a dash of oregano…" She added some oregano into the pot just as her phone started to go off. She looked up from the stove and into the living room, her phone was on the end table next to the couch.

"Ryan sweetie, can you answer that? Mommy's got her hands full."

"Yes Mommy." Valerie smiled and turned back to her ingredients. It wasn't another minute that Ryan came running into the kitchen, holding the phone up next to her leg. "Mommy, it's sister, she's calling from Daddy's phone."

"She is?" That was odd, Rachel never used Jonah's phone unless there were specific reasons. Knowing what one of those reasons was, she immediately became fearful and took the phone. "Rachel honey, what's going on?" Ryan watched his mom's face closely as she listened to her daughter's words. Her once cheerful, but studious expression, twisted into a mix of fear and calmness.

"Mommy, what's going on?" Ryan tugged on her shirt as she gave Rachel some calm words and hung up the phone, she needed to prepare. Currently, everyone had to prepare for the worst. She knelt next to Ryan and smiled at him, holding back her fearful tears. She knew this day would come, but she didn't expect it so soon. She had to keep strong for Jonah, but most importantly, for Jonah.

"Ryan, I want you to put on some clean clothes real quickly and put your toys away, okay? Mommy has to find your father's medical papers and get prepared. We're going to the hospital, do you understand what this means?" Ryan's eyes widened, but he was relaxed under his mom's reassuring eyes and smile. He did know what it meant, and he hated the thought of losing his father. He was scared to death of something happening to the man. "Now your father is going to be okay, he has an excellent doctor, who will have the best doctors and nurses in the state treating him. What he needs most of all is support from his family, from us, okay? Do you understand?"

"Y-Yes Mommy…"

"I know you're scared, we all are, and it's okay to be afraid. If you have anything you want to talk about, you let me know. Mommy's here, okay?" Ryan smiled and hugged his mom close, she seemed so strong and so certain. Her face was soft and inviting, it really helped him to see that. It made him feel safe and secure. She didn't have any tears, she wasn't going to let her children see her panic, otherwise they might panic. She pulled back and looked into Ryan's eyes, then groomed his hair a bit. "Okay, go get ready. We need to be leaving in ten minutes."

"Okay Mommy." She lowered her arms and watched as her son hurried off to his bedroom. Now, she just needed to hurry and get everything that was necessary. All the time they spent preparing for this moment, and she still felt more unprepared than she'd ever been in her life, it was crippling to her. What, though, could really prepare you to hear that your husband was stricken with cancer? There was nothing.

Jonah lay in his hospital bed, the nurses had already hooked him up and everything. It frightened Rachel to see all of this, and Doctor Turner had wanted her not to, but she wasn't leaving her dad's side until Valerie and Ryan were there. Jonah had given permission for her to stay in the room, Ryan as well, though he didn't want his youngest to see him like this. It would be hard and difficult, but it was a simple fact of life. Ryan would probably ask questions, probably be confused, and everyone would do what they could do.. "Well Doc, I really hit the big time with this one, didn't I?" Jonah chuckled dryly as the old Doctor read the charts.

"You're going to be just fine Jonah, it's only in the early stages. Leukemia is hard to deal with, but when it's been caught early, it can be easily fought off." Rachel lifted her eyes and her father's. He smiled at her and looked to the door in time to see Valerie in the window, one of the nurses was briefing her on the situation. He closed his eyes and leaned his head back, breathing out slowly.

"Good, because I'm not intending to take this just sitting down, I'm going to fight this with every ounce of strength I have. I've got a wife and kids, Doc…they're depending on me, you know." Valerie hurried inside and stopped when she saw Jonah, her heart crashed almost instantaneously. She heard Ryan whimper next to her and she quickly regained her senses before she lost them. Doctor Turner looked at her and smiled as she handed him all the documents necessary. They detailed everything about Jonah's history and the history of his relatives before him.

"It's good to see you, Mrs. Brown. You know we're going to do everything we can, right? You know me well enough to know I don't have to say that…it's just part of protocol." She nodded and smiled kindly, she at least appreciated it that he would say it. "He's in good hands. Should I give you a moment?"

"Yes, please." She turned around to her children and smiled at them. "Ryan, Rachel, would you please follow him outside? I'll call you two in if you want to talk to him." The children nodded and did as told. Valerie rushed to Jonah's side and placed her shaky hand into his firm one. He smiled sadly at her as she wiped her eyes. "Jonah, I don't know why this has to happen now…"

"I know, but it'll be okay, you know that."

"I know, but it hurts…and I can't let the children see that." Jonah shifted his body slightly and groomed her hair back. He could see the fear and the anguish in her eyes, and as much as he wanted to be fearless, even he couldn't be. He would be going through a lot of pain, they all knew this well enough.

"They understand you're human, and they're going to be afraid as well. You can still cry and be strong, Valerie. They need that…they need to understand that it's not good to hide your emotions, to hide your feelings." Valerie closed her eyes tightly and nodded her head, she understood.

"I just…"

"They're going to need you more than anything." Valerie looked to the door and saw Rachel peering in through the window. Her eyes were wide with fear and concern. "Let them in and we'll talk as a family…I need them to know what's to be expected."

"Right…" Valerie motioned for Rachel to come inside and the children were soon at her side. Ryan started asking his dad if he would be okay, if he would be safe, and Jonah was sure to tell him that while everyone was afraid, they needed to keep up the faith that he would be fine. They would be keeping him in the hospital during all of his treatment, it was a necessary thing, and he preferred it.

That night, as Valerie lay in bed, the tears ran down her cheeks like rivers. Her heart was aching, her stomach twisting, and every hour she felt like she was going to throw up. The treatment could last anywhere to six months. Six months in the hospital was too long for her, but she accepted whatever time was needed for Jonah to get well.

She heard the door crack open and looked to see Rachel and Ryan standing in the doorway, Ryan was holding Rachel's hand and rubbing his eye while Rachel watched her mother with tears in her eyes. "We can't sleep, Mommy." Valerie sat up as her two children walked towards the bed.

"You can sleep with me tonight, and whenever you like." The kids smiled and climbed into bed with her. She wrapped her arms around them and lay back as they rested on either side of her. She pulled the covers over them and they closed their eyes, feeling the warmth of their mother's embrace. It was a cold bed without her husband there, but her children made it warm again. Ryan piped up and snuggled close to Valerie.

"Is Daddy really going to be okay, Mommy?"

"Yes Ryan, daddy will be okay." She wiped her eyes and Ryan slowly nodded his head, trying to understand.

"Then why does he have to stay at the doctor's?"

"Because they need to treat daddy's illness…they found it early enough that they can get rid of it."

"But what if something happens?"

"Nothing will happen, baby. Nothing is going to happen." She hugged her children closer and they relaxed. They had to trust their mother's word, and they did, they believed her without fail. If she said their father would be okay, then so be it. The only sound that was heard as they drifted off to sleep was the quiet sound of the wind breezing through the cracked window, and the chirping of crickets.

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End of chapter 90, Jonah has cancer, and this is how strong his family unit is.


	92. Returning Home

Boarded

Disclaimer: I do not own iCarly!

A/N:

* * *

Chapter 91 (Returning Home)

June of 2020, Jonah missed both of his children's birthdays. This pissed him off, but at least he was able to go home. He was recovering, his battle with Leukemia was finally over. He wore a baseball cap that had been given to him by Freddie. Hell, it even had a damn picture of Freddie embroidered into it, made by Melanie. He clicked on the news and saw an image of a city press meeting where Mason was shaking the hands of reporters, he had chosen to go into politics during his time in college. He'd been heavily involved with the city affairs throughout this time and had been put on the city council for a few years after he left college. Now, he was in his first year as Seattle's Mayor. "Mayor Mason Benson…" Jonah chuckled and slowly shook his head. "Try saying _that_ five times fast. Still sounds funny." There was no term limit, so god only knew when Mason was going to try for Governor. Through Freddie, Jonah knew well of Mason's political plans and goals. By giving the people what they want, doing the best he could, and having the best connections and strategies, he could quickly rise up through the political offices. Sam and Carly's pact to 'reform' Seattle would perhaps work great with Mason.

The door opened and Jonah glanced over to see Freddie walk in the room. He had his hair combed neatly back, was wearing a button up shirt and slacks, and had a sports jacket draped over his arm. "Jesus Freddie, you look like you're going to a damn funeral. At least, I hope you're here to drive me _home_, and by home, I mean where my wife and kids are." Freddie laughed heartily and walked over to the bed, resting his hand on the end of the bed and looking up at the television. "So when I get home, if I find out I have to start paying more for my kids to go to school in Seattle, I get to kick your brother's ass, right?" Freddie laughed again and shook his head.

"No, I'm afraid Mason's got a good bodyguard." Gibby had been chosen by Mason to be his personal bodyguard. Sure, Gibby was a professional wrestler, but he had also had a high involvement with the police force. Sam was choosing another route, opting to scale through the police force ranks, still intending one day to become a police chief. Then, she was aiming higher. Carly was shooting through the legal ranks, at some point she would hope to become the City Attorney, then the Washington State Attorney General, then she was aiming for the Supreme Court. Who knew if she could achieve it? Sam was already placed at a high rank through her military experience and leadership skills, so she didn't have to worry _too_ much. At 26, she was one of the youngest police Lieutenants in Seattle. Of course, this also meant even Gibby had to obey her, until he became the Mayor's bodyguard, that is.

"Well, I guess Mason's doing a good job. I'm still alive, so he doesn't have to worry about Seattle's hospitals." Jonah laughed joyfully as Freddie helped him to his feet. The only reason Valerie wasn't able to come get him was she was at the house, getting everything ready for Jonah's return. "You want to bet on the highest political office your brother plans to achieve?" Freddie tapped his chin in thought as the two began walking.

"I'm pretty sure Governor is one of the highest he wants to hold, but there's always a chance he could try for congress." Freddie wasn't too political and wasn't completely positive on whether or not there was even anything higher than Governor, minus the president. "I don't honestly think he'll reach any major office, though he seems to be doing well for the Mayor's spot. "Either way, I'm shocked he even became Mayor." Seattle's youngest Mayor had been back in the 1970s, the man was only 34. After going from Mayor McGinn, who was 50 when elected, Seattle wanted to try and get younger people in. McGinn stepped down as the mayor in 1914, then they elected a 35 year old, who remained in office for a couple years before another 34 year old stepped into office. "Hopefully Mason will stick around longer than our last couple of young mayors…"

"Time will only tell. I'm not too worried." He was more concerned with getting home. Besides, he didn't care to talk politics, politics was what was ruining things in his mind. It felt great to be able to walk around and feel alive, he honestly had been worried a few times along the way. "Now hopefully that cancer won't ever decide to try and come back. If it does, then I suppose we'll have a bit of a problem." Freddie frowned as they made their way outside and towards his car. He didn't want to think of Jonah as losing his life, it just wasn't the time yet. "How are Valerie and the kids?" He'd not seen them for about a week, considering school just got out. They often visited every day, or every chance they got. None of them could picture life without him.

"Valerie has kept the kids and herself busy, I'll tell you that. I'm telling you, we've got some pretty strong women in our family." Jonah chuckled and entered the car, grunting slightly when he sat down. He rubbed his bare legs and frowned, it would be a while before any of his hair grew back, but that was fine. He could just imagine Ryan asking why his dad was bald. With a tearful eye, he laughed away the thought and listened to the car roar to a start. "I think it was her having a good connection with Melanie, Sam, and Jessica that really helped."

"Maybe so, those women are tough as hell." They had every right to be, of course, with the way they grew up. None of the boys would ask there to be anything different. "How is Jessica doing, by the way? Last I heard, she was pregnant with her second?" Either she was pregnant with her second or she had given birth to her second, he was not too sure. Then again, he did recall seeing Jessica at some point with a baby in her arms. "Maybe she gave birth." Freddie nodded and grinned at his friend. Jonah had missed so much, so naturally, Freddie was happy to fill him in on the details.

"In early April, Melanie and Jessica both gave birth to baby girls." Freddie was happy to have a second child, so proud of both children. "My daughter's name is Angie, truly an angel." Jonah felt a sense of pride for Freddie, a new child being born was always great. "Jessica and Jeremy named their child Jackie, because of the name Sam had taken when she lived with them. Tyler's a happy little two year old, thrilled at the idea of being an older brother."

"Oh, is that right? I was picturing 'terrible twos' for him, but I guess not." He and Valerie had wanted to stick with two, but just before he'd been hit with the cancer, Valerie conceived their third child. She'd given birth to the child in March. He still felt horrible to have missed the birth of his daughter, but was thrilled to finally be going home to that little child. His heart wrenched when he thought that he'd be too weak to hold the baby for a while. Wanting to move onto another thought, he breached the thought of Tyler once more. "I suppose Tyler looks up to his father pretty well?"

"Jeremy is his whole world. At least until he becomes a teenager, and then his father's going to be the dumbest man on the planet for a while…" Jonah snickered and Freddie smirked, they knew all too well how teenagers acted. Fortunately, they wouldn't have to deal with teenagers for quite some time. The car became silent for a while and Freddie watched his good friend with a smile. "It's good to have you back, man."

"Feels good to be back." He didn't want to mention how weak he felt. All this time, he tried to keep up his strength to the best of his abilities, but his muscles still suffered. Just opening the car door had become a task for him. He wasn't going to let that deter him, he _would_ get his strength back up. "I may be down, but I'm definitely not out."

"Good to hear. You know, Raven is doing well too." Raven was his newborn daughter, she was had the light of her mother's eyes in her. Jonah's eyes brightened remarkably when he thought of his daughter. "Rachel's getting along well with her, always playing with her little sister and whatnot, so I don't think you'll have to worry about any siblings thinking they're being replaced."

"Ah hell, they're probably more concerned to see me than they are of being replaced. They're not the type of kids to worry about that menial stuff." That was for the most part true, his kids were more than happy to have a little sister. However, the news that was more exciting to the kids than even that fact, was Jonah's release from the hospital and return home. He placed his chin on his hand and gazed out the window, watching in silence as the trees zipped by him. "God I can't wait to get back to my family."

"I'm pretty sure they can't wait to get you back." Freddie pat Jonah's shoulder and parked along the curb of his home. There wasn't going to be a big surprise party, that would probably be far too much for Jonah. At most, it was just going to be his wife, kids, Freddie, and most likely Melanie. Freddie and Melanie were the godparents of their children anyway.

Freddie helped Jonah out of the car and led him to the house. Once inside, Jonah nearly broke out in tears at the wondrous aroma of Valerie's cooking. Melanie and Valerie were in the kitchen, working on a cake while Ryan and Rachel were in the nursery with Raven. Freddie put his hand to his mouth and called out. "We're home!"

"Daddy's home!" Rachel's voice rang in Jonah's ears, like a pleasant symphony from a powerful orchestra. He smiled as Rachel came racing into the living room, followed by Ryan, who was almost ready to tackle his father. He would have too, if Valerie hadn't told them beforehand that Jonah would be weak right now. The kids hugged his legs and he gazed astonishingly at them, thrilled to finally be able to actually be in his own house. He looked up to see his beautiful wife walking out of the kitchen, wiping her hands off with a rag. Valerie was glowing, but the brightest thing of all was her smile and her eyes that danced all around him. Melanie followed her and stepped next to Freddie, giving him a kiss on the cheek. Tears left Valerie's eyes as she did everything to stop herself from tackling him to the floor. She moved towards him and hugged him close, weeping softly as she felt him move his arms around her.

"You're home before I finished the cake…"

"I'm just glad to be home at all." Valerie chuckled nervously and moved her arms down, taking his hands in hers. She gazed into his eyes, which seemed to be one of the few things that had not diminished over time. He spoke softly and with a smile. "I love you, Val."

"I love you."

"Won't take me long to regain my strength, then I'll be the same man you've always known and loved." She smiled and lifted herself up, kissing his lips gently.

"I love you no matter what. Loved you then, love you more now…" He was a survivor, he was strong enough, and that was something she loved about him more than anything. They were going to do everything to help him regain the muscles that had atrophied over time, but right now, they wanted him to have a moment to finally really _feel_ and _be_ at home.

* * *

What a great chapter, and Valerie had a baby too. Now prepare yourselves for a jump into the future with the next chapter "Assassination Attempt". This has nothing to do with the trailer you just saw, either. Then the final chapter will be up. We're getting there, people. Slowly but surely, we are getting there.


	93. Assassination Attempt

Boarded

Disclaimer: I do not own iCarly!

A/N:

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Chapter 92 (Assassination Attempt)

The year 2025, Mason was going to become governor. Carly and Sam clearly support him, because during his run as mayor, he appointed both of them to their desired city positions. Really it wasn't until the year before that it had taken place, but either way, they were eternally grateful. Now, however, Sam would face the very task that would prove her worth as the chief of police. As she stood in front of the entire police force, with her friend Lindsey, who sat with tears in her eyes, holding the hand of her six year old daughter. The hunt was on as Sam recounted the vivid memory bestowed to her by her friend in regards to the Mayor's abduction. The events that she had seen unfold on her front lawn.

_Mason was mowing the grass as he did every two weeks. Their house was a ways from the city, in a more private part of town, where it was safer. It was designated this way because he refused to have security at his house, he wanted that to remain a private matter. His wife was in the house on the second floor, cleaning up their daughter's bedroom while the young girl was away at school. Lindsey watched Mason through the window from time to time while he mowed, simply because she enjoyed the beautiful season of a brand new year, and when the wind would blow the grass around him. She hadn't noticed the brown SUV pull up, or the darker skinned man with curly black hair step out of the vehicle. She didn't notice him until he started to converse with Mason. She thought it was odd that he even found the place, considering that while they didn't have security at the house, the streets around it were closed off to the public and _were_ under guard._

_ The man walked up to Mason and waved, smiling slightly at him. Mason stiffened when he saw the man, his age, approach him. He shut off the mower and took an easy step back. The man, identifying himself only as 'Steven', stated that he confirmed himself as one of Melissa's teachers when asked how he got past security. "Though Mason, you and I both know I'm not one of your daughter's teachers. I'm surprised to see you became a mayor after all these years and would have thought you'd know better than to put yourself in the public eye when you _knew_ somebody might have it out for you." _

_ "There are going to be people who don't agree with me, Steve…" It was all business, wasn't it? Steve chuckled and folded his arms, his expression twisting into a scowl and eyes glowing with anger. He was still holding a grudge, anybody could tell. "So, where have you been all this time? I mean, yeah juvenile, but as for having a life, what about all that?" Steve tilted his head to the side, turning his lips up into a somewhat crazed grin._

_ "Searching for you, of course." Mason swallowed hard and took a step back, unsure of what his former friend might try to do. "Yeah people may be after you, but that's all business I'm sure. From what I'm hearing, though, you're doing pretty damn fucking well for this city, you could probably make Governor!" _

_ "Thanks." Mason smiled with uncertainty, while he was grateful for the compliment, he was rather uncomfortable with the ominous tone that Steve had given it to him."I think." He had not had any assassination attempts, and in his time as Mayor, and within the months of appointing Carly and Sam to their positions, Seattle had really begun becoming a cleaner and safer place. Steve closed his eyes and stepped beside Mason, placing his arm around his shoulders and patting him, smiling slightly._

_ "Yes old friend, I must say that if Will were still alive today, you might even have his vote." Mason's eyes widened and his body froze, he'd not thought about Will in so long. He'd not forgotten him, though, and always tried to live by the boy's thinking. Steve's eyes narrowed and Mason watched with growing anxiety as his former friend reached into his jacket. "Oh yes, old Will. Poor Will, having to have died for a simple mistake." He chuckled and shook his head while Mason's eyes grew even more. Seeing the end of a gun in Steve's hand, he paled and a knot began forming in his throat. "You know, you should have died back then too, you really should have. I made a mistake, though. I tried to kill you with a_ bat_, and god knows that those things don't always kill their intended target."_

_ "Steve, you don't want to do this. Trust me, you don't."_

_ "Oh no, Mason, I _do_ want to do this!" Steve grabbed Mason's arm and pulled the gun out, placing it against his abdomen. At this point, Lindsey saw what was going on and tried to shout from the window. Steve yelled and quickly fired a gunshot at her._

_ "No, Lindsey!" Lindsey screamed and ducked down. She thought she'd been hit, but the bullet merely flicked off of the window frame beside her. She held her position and sobbed, afraid for both herself and for Mason. "Steve, please, do whatever you want to me but…leave my wife and daughter alone. Leave my family alone."_

_ "Your family? Don't make me laugh, I know your family…they're some of the most powerful people around. If I see them, of course I'm going to kill them. First, though, since you are Mayor now…I want to see Seattle _squirm_ as they watch their beloved Mayor die…shamed and disgraced…" Mason whimpered softly as Steve opened the car door and shoved him into the car. "Now, if you would like to know how I got in, let me just say there's this little secret, unmarked, unpaved path that circles around the whole police blockade. I made that path, it took me a _long_ fucking time to make that path. Congratulations Mayor, you will now go from being one of the youngest Mayors of Seattle, but also Seattle's first assassinated Mayor! You really know how to go down in history! Shall we televise this, Mr. Mayor?" Mason swallowed and stared quietly at Steve as the man started up the car and drove away. Had he gone insane over the years? Had he completely lost it during his years in prison? All these years, had the whole ordeal seriously messed him up _that_ badly?_

_ "Steve…what's happened to you?" _

The police force readied themselves, the swat teams were prepared, and the helicopters were on route searching for the car that belonged to Steve. Sam was _not_ going to let anything happen to Mason. "Okay, we're on a manhunt, we will _not_ let our mayor down!" Very few American mayors, two or three, had ever been assassinated, and Mason was not about to go into that calculation. Not only that, but it was already assumed that he would become governor, and only _one_ US Governor had ever been assassinated. That was William Goebel, Kentucky's governor in 1900, he'd been shot a day before he was sworn in and died days later. Mason wasn't going to be the second. "That man had better come out alive, in one piece, and with _no_ major injuries! Do I make myself clear?" A roar of agreement rang out, and already who she would be as police chief was cemented.

She issued a statement that all entrances and exits to the city must be closed off. All dirt areas and open spaces must be guarded, every building must be searched thoroughly and every Seattle resident must remain in their homes. At her orders, the only vehicles on the road were police cruisers, swat cars, and any armored police or military vehicle around. Even Jeremy, who was now a Brigadier General in the Army and would, in ten years, be considered for the position of a Lieutenant General, was out searching with several troops for Mason and Steve. In order, the generals of the army were the Brigadier, then Major, then Lieutenant, and finally the four star General. Jeremy was not the youngest to ever hold the title of Brigadier, but the fact that his father in law had been a four star general certainly gave him that political leverage.

Right now, Steve Reppling was the most wanted man in the state of Washington.

After hours of searching, the police found a car matching the one at the scene of the abduction. Sam arrived at the location, but was frustrated by finding only an abandoned vehicle. This made matters worse, while at the same time, better, because now the two men were likely on foot.

The hunt continued for two more frustrating hours, with minimal or no signs of Steve or Mason anywhere to be found. Sam was beside herself with rage. Who was this guy? How could he slip past them so easily? There had to be something she wasn't seeing!

Then it dawned upon her, they'd ran a background check on the guy and between the years of 2014 and 2020, 'Steve Reppling' ceased to exist, it was as though he'd fallen off the face of the earth. Was it possible for him to be masquerading as someone else? Was that how he could slip through defenses so easily?

Sam made her way to her office, several officers followed her on her orders. She swirled to her computer and brought up the national databases. She ran a check on Steve, then searched for any matching traits of any other person. These included the eyes, the jowls, the nose, everything in the basic chemical makeup.

After several minutes, she finally had a match! He matched a janitor who was working for Bushwell Plaza that had been pulled over a couple years ago for a traffic stop. Sam smashed her hand onto the desk and pointed furiously at one of the officers.

"You, alert the force of this name: Randal Lawrence, that is Steve Reppling's alias!" This janitor had also worked part time for the police agency, as a secretary, this was many years ago. How could they have missed this? He had so much access to all of their secrets! He knew too much about the force. Had this all been a part of his plan? She pointed to a second officer as the first one ran off. "You, alert all cruisers and officers to start searching places that man has been known to visit." The officer nodded and scurried away as Sam narrowed her eyes and looked at the final officer. "Now you will follow me to Bushwell, I'm going to search that place personally…" She didn't know why, but she had a sinking suspicion that Bushwell was where he was.

Just as she was fixing to head out, an officer ran back in with an update on the situation. They'd just been informed by one of the officers who was stationed at Bushwell. The doorman there said he had spotted Randal walking in. The janitor told him of a mess he had just cleaned up and wanted him to take a look.

"The doorman…Lewbert saw something?"

"Yes ma'am, he said that when he went to look, the janitor seemed to pull someone inside. He didn't catch a glimpse at the man and figured it was nothing serious. His janitor had always been a bit of an oddball…"

"No wonder…" That man always seemed to attract the crazies, even after he himself had become more of a sane person. In all respect, she pitied him more now than ever before. "Then it's assumed that's our man. Grab the nearest units and tell them to meet me at Bushwell Plaza in ten!"

"Yes ma'am!"

Ten minutes in and Sam was at the old apartments, joining her were several police officers and General Jeremy Lance. "So you think the guy is in there, Sam?"

"I'm almost positive." Sam closed her hands up and narrowed her eyes as she and Jeremy walked towards the building. Neither of them ever expected Mason's past to come dredging up a storm, everybody was almost certain that was done for.

The deafening roar of helicopters beat down from the air. Sam looked up and frowned when she spotted not just police helicopters, but local and national news helicopters, something that she had hoped would not show up. "Didn't I ask for the media to leave this alone, or do they not listen to the police chief?"

"My guess, they don't listen to even the president sometimes."

"Figures…there's another thing I hope gets fixed one day. Oh wait, can't take away freedom of the press, I forgot!" She rolled her eyes and rushed into the building with Jeremy. There was no turning back, this was it.

On the roof of the building, Steve stood on the edge with Mason, pressing a gun to his back. Mason swallowed hard, sweat dripping down his head as he recalled several age old memories that he wished that he could forget. He peered down and continued to hold strong, despite the fact that now that he saw how high up he was, he wanted to hurl. Steve brandished his gun in the air, gaining the attention of the helicopters. He laughed and clutched Mason's arm tightly.

"Do not mistake me for a political assassin!" His shout roared out with power, he wanted to emphasize that while almost all political assassinations were based on politics, he _was not_. "I could care less about the political game. I could care less that you're going to swear Mason Benson in as Governor in precisely four days. That's right, I don't give a shit! I'm not some crazy person who thinks God is telling me what to do, I'm not a hippie on drugs, I'm _nothing_ like you've ever seen in your entire fucking life!"

"Language please, Steve…there may be children watching…" He prayed there wasn't, and seriously hoped that Lindsey and Melissa were not seeing this right now. Steve rolled his eyes and smacked Mason on the back of the head. He shouted out and clenched his eyes shut. "Don't hit there, please…"

"Oh shut the fuck up already Mason." He turned his attention to the news helicopter and smirked. "I am, or was, an old friend of Mason's. That's all I was. We knew each other as teens, had fun as any teenagers would. Then a mistake happened, a friend of ours died…and you know what? He made a deal with some corrupt bitch lawyer! If she stopped using our friend's death as political leverage and publicity for _her_ case, then he would happy. If she didn't, he was going to expose her. She said she would and gave him $200 to shut up…and he took the money."

"I wasn't keeping the money Steve, I told you that time and time again…"

"Yeah, but where's a young teenager going to give money like that to anyway? The only purpose it served was fire! Either way, I went to jail for trying to kill Mason, but I failed! I _failed_ at killing him then!"

"And…you lost your mind too…"

"Shut up!" He shook Mason and the Mayor started to lose his balance. He shouted out, but Steve grabbed onto him, not ready to send the man hurtling to his death. "I searched him out all these years, I did everything I could to plan my moves out strategically, and now that I'm finally here…you're going to witness the death of this man, your beloved Mayor…your beloved _Governor_." Steve cocked his gun and narrowed his eyes, placing the barrel to Mason's back. Mason closed his eyes tightly and all time seemed to cease, all noises vanished away. "Goodbye, Mason."

"Stop right there, Steve! Or should I say, _Randal!_" Mason's eyes shot open and Steve turned his head back in curious surprise. Sam was kneeling on the ground, pointing a gun at him, Jeremy was doing the same.

"How the hell…_How_ did you get here so fast?"

"You should be asking how the police even found you in the first place. You thought you could hide away as some lowly janitor and former secretary? We found you, Steven…now take a step back, you don't want to do anything stupid."

"Fuck you, I don't care!"

"Yeah, well America doesn't care about you, Steve. You're a would be assassin, you're better off dead. Think about it, what do potential assassins of presidents, governors, _any_ political figure at all usually get lumped as?" Steve raised an eyebrow and turned to Sam, she at least had his attention now. "Crazy, Steve, they get put down as _crazy_. Nevermind their names, their life, any kind of history they may have had to the political figure, they're just deemed _insane_ and unfit by society. Thrown away like trash, forgotten. That's all that's going to happen to you, Steve."

"The fuck you know…"

"Why do you want to kill Mason? Simply because of something stupid and unimportant, because of some moral issue that you have or great heap of guilt that you feel over being the reason for your friend's death?" Steve's hands began to shake and Mason looked towards him with a concerned expression. Sam slowly stood up and continued to stare into the man's wildly violent eyes. "You've wasted your whole life just for that purpose. You could have let it go, but you didn't, you _didn't_. Researchers might give a damn about that, because unlike political assassins, who usually get thrown away and not focused upon because they're all deemed crazy and simply in disagreement with the political figure's ideal, _you_ have a personal grudge."

"Is this your way of saying that I'm nothing?"

"Well you'll be nothing to anyone in America, and think about it…the second you pull the trigger on our future Governor, you have people who will shoot and kill you without questions. No questions, no trial, nothing…you will have no story to be told." This was trying to psyche him out, but for the most part, she was right about the large majority of political assassins. "How much is known of John Wilkes Booth, Steve? How about Lee Harvey Oswald, Charles Guiteau, and even Leon Czolgosz?"

"Yeah but they were the ones who killed the presidents. This man's not a president."

"No, but there was a mayor assassinated in an attempt on Franklin Delano Roosevelt's life…"

"The guy was deemed crazy…"

"Yep, he said he killed kings and presidents and so forth, so it's pretty much assumed he's insane. I mean to go after a political figure, you _must_ be insane!"

"I am _not_ insane!" He stomped his foot on the ground and growled in anger, which caused Sam to smirk. "You hear me? I have a perfectly legitimate reason for wanting to kill someone who, may or may not be fucking innocent, but in _my_ mind, I hate the guy! I want to kill him for something that happened in _our_ past, not for any fucking political reason! I want to kill him not because I am insane, but because of a personal, private grudge! Do _not_ mix me in with political killers! And for the record, we know plenty about John Wilkes Booth…"

"True, we do, but Booth was the first successful assassin. Every other one was deemed insane and not looked at." Steve shifted uncomfortably and looked over at Mason, he still hated him and still wanted to kill him. He didn't really care if he was looked at with interest or if he faded away into history, but he _didn't_ want to be called insane. "Now you don't have to kill him, Steve. You can step down now, and we can all move away from this…"

"Are you _stupid?" _Sam raised her eyebrow as Mason stared down at the ground, the fire department was rushing all sorts of trampolines and other objects to cushion a fall in case he would have to jump. He didn't want to be the cause of another one of his friends' deaths, but he may not have a choice. Jeremy's radio went off and Sam looked over at him, he'd just been informed that the cushions were safe and they were going to alert the Mayor to jump down. Sam had already instructed the agents in the helicopter to fire when and if Mason was safe. "I haven't come all this way just to let Mason _live!_" He quickly turned to the media chopper and held his hands out. "America! Before I kill him, I want you to know this, I can't stress enough that this is _not political!_ I would be killing him whether he was Mayor of Seattle or just a bum on the street. That is all. I repeat, this is not po-" Just then, Mason closed his eyes and jumped, stretching his legs and arms out to land on the cushioning below. Steve's eyes widened and he glanced down. "Fuck! Are you shitting me?" He quickly aimed his gun and Sam called out.

"Fire now!" Steve's eyes widened as his body began to be riddled by bullets from all sides. He grunted as the smoke cleared and shots ceased. His body shook and blood drenched down onto the surface. His eyes slowly moved to the sky and he began to fall forward. He would now be forever immortalized as the man who attempted to kill Seattle's mayor and future Governor due to a personal grudge when they were friends, and as it would say in history books: Was _not_ insane.

Sam pushed her gun into the holster and walked to the edge of the building, peering down at the ground. Mason flinched when he heard Steve's thud onto the ground. Officers helped him to his feet and started leading him away to safety. Mason looked up at the building and spotted Sam, her hair blowing in the wind. The whole day's events was enough, he would give her a few years as chief, then he was going to appoint her as the chair of Emergency Management, as a gift to her for saving his life. Either that, or recommend her to the FBI.

* * *

Well looks like Mason will go on to become Governor. Yes, that was the same Steve from the CSI episode. Poor Steve, Sam annoyed him to his death. Well guys, one more chapter is left. Then I'll be working on the sequel.


	94. Beautiful End

Boarded

Disclaimer: I do not own iCarly!

A/N:This is it, the final chapter. It's been a long road, but we made it. Read and enjoy.

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Chapter 93 (Beautiful End)

Ten years passed without a hitch, and as of May 14th, 2035, several things were different. Mason, at 41, had become the nation's president. Sam Gibson was the head of the FBI department, the most powerful police position there could be. Carly Shay, at 41, was on the Supreme Court, and was a shoe in to take over as the Chief Justice when the current one passed on or retired, he was currently 80 years old. Together, they did a lot for the country as far as medical, taxes, and much more went. Jeremy was even a appointed to a five star General level, moved up during a major war that had taken place in the early 1930s. Former General John Trent couldn't be prouder of his son in law. The great war that started in 1930 ran until late 1934, ending due to Jeremy's heroic actions and decisions when he was appointed to the five star level by President Mason. He was even one of Mason's chief advisors, as was Sam. Hell, they were all pretty much advising him in some ways. They never _dreamed_ that they would become some of the most powerful members of the country, and they each had specific people in front of them to thank for that.

Jessica stood in the kitchen, standing in front of the counter with six different lunches. This was finals week for the kids and just a week before Jeremy's high school graduation. She tapped her fingers on the counter and raised her eyebrows, usually they were all here by now. She needed to hurry off to work, she had assumed her mentor's position as the lead CSI of her division. Unlike the other members of her family, she wasn't that deeply involved in politics. "Come on, get your lunch, it's time to send you off to school!" Tyler and Jackie were the ones who drove the younger siblings to school while Jessica and Jeremy hurried off to work. Their youngest child, born in 2028, was just 7 years old, and after that, they decided _no more_ children. Usually they had some free time before heading off to work, and at 41, they were just as passionate as they were when they were 20, but fortunately for Jessica, Jeremy's tubes were tied.

The first kid that bolted down the stairs was fourteen year old William Lance. He had dark brown hair with pointy bangs that flowed down in front of his freckled face. His light blue eyes could stare into anyone's souls, but it was his smile that gave away his innocence. He often wore red polo type shirts and faded blue jeans. "Hey Mom, did dad really get neutered last week?" Jessica covered her mouth and stifled a laugh as she thought about her answer. He went in fighting for the rights of his lower organs, but failed. Jonah, who now ran most of the hospitals in Seattle, laughed his ass off when the doctors reported the tale to him. "Tyler said Dad got neutered, and I thought only dogs did that."

"No William, grown men have to go through that too when women don't want to get pregnant anymore…" She was beside herself, trying so hard not to break out in laughter. Bobby snickered and hurried off into the living room, as his ride wasn't ready yet. He and Nathan, the youngest, usually rode with Tyler. The twins went with Jackie. Next down the stairs were the twins, Nancy and Cindy. Nancy was the tomboy, usually with her wavy hair down and a soft purple shirt with deep blue jeans. Cindy was the girly one, who often wore her hair in a ponytail and wore brightly colored dresses, however she was a slight bit of a hothead while her sister was not. They were not _quite _twelve yet, as they were born July 4th, 2023. They grabbed their lunchboxes. Nancy's lunchbox was red with a picture of a horse while Cindy's lunchbox was yellow with a picture of a mermaid.

"Mommy, can you tell Aunt Melanie to please, _please_ not make us have to take the test today?" Cindy was begging. They had Melanie as their basic science teacher and today was a test over the ocean. Jessica laughed and shook her head sadly, she couldn't make her cousin do a thing. Besides, it would be wrong.

"You girls have to listen and learn what you're taught. The tests are just a way of seeing where you're at." Cindy groaned while Nancy merely smirked. She studied, her sister didn't _want_ to do the homework. The girls looked towards the steps to see Nathan scurrying in the room. He was in a red shirt and blue shorts, wearing his usual cap with flames on it.

"School's ending this week!" Nathan jumped for joy as his mom handed him a brown sack lunch. He was too excited about the fact that school was out, especially since he was just in third grade and it didn't really matter for him, all he was going to have to do this week was play with friends. "Hey mommy, I can skip, right?"

"You're learning too much from your older brother. No, you can't skip school today, sweetheart."

"Aww!" The others laughed and moved to the living room. Jessica looked to the stairs and wondered what could be taking the teens. After about five minutes, Jackie came walking down the stairs, her short and feathery hair bounced with each step. She was wearing a purple short sleeved shirt with long white under sleeves, along with almost purple jeans.

"Sorry mom, I was having a fight with my alarm clock." She just wanted to get finals week over and done with, and couldn't wait to be as Tyler was, about to begin college! He had a lot to prepare for.

"It's okay Jackie, just grab your lunch and tell me what's keeping your brother." Jackie nodded and smiled lightly at her mother while grabbing a deli creations box, those were both hers and Tyler's favorite lunches.

"Dad's having a talk with him."

"Oh he is?"

"Yep. Do you need me for anything before I head out? The sooner this day's over and done with, the better. Plus, I need to get the twins to their school before I'm late."

"Just get going before you're late, honey."

"Love you, mom." Jackie hugged Jessica and looked into the living room. "Nancy! Cindy! Let's get a move on!" The twins bounced into the kitchen and followed their older sister outside to her car. They had a lot of work to do today, so there was no time for dilly-dallying. They would be late for school if they didn't leave now. William beat his hands upon the coffee table while Nathan flipped on the television, they couldn't believe they were _still_ waiting for Tyler. Jessica peered into the living room, then walked towards the back door. On the back patio were Jeremy and Tyler. She stepped into the doorway and leaned against it, listening to the father's talk with Tyler.

"I'm always proud of you, Tyler…you know that?" Tyler looked up at his father and nodded, he always wanted his father to be proud of him and had done everything possible to make him proud. "What do you want to do when you graduate high school? What do you want to do with your life?"

"Oh…I was thinking military, Dad." Jeremy's eyes lit with pride as his son peered out into the yard. They had a couple chocolate labs that normally stayed inside, but loved being out in the back yard. There was a very big sloping hill for the two dogs to run down and a fence to keep them inside, but the yard was so big that one could hardly see the fence. "Except, I'm not going to go into the army…I'm going to go into the Air Force. I want to be a pilot."

"Sounds like a plan." Jeremy placed his hand upon Tyler's shoulder and met the teenager's eyes. Tyler was growing up to be quite the man. He took after his dad in so many ways, both good and bad. He did have a bit of his father's hot-headedness and was deathly protective of his younger siblings. The one time Jackie attempted to date, she and her boyfriend got into an argument. The boy slapped her, she came home and attempted to hide the mark, but Tyler saw it. She didn't try to stop him from confronting the boy and beating him into the pavement. This was years ago, and since then, Jeremy worked with him on controlling his near volatile anger. "Just remember, I'll support your decisions, Tyler."

"Thank you, Dad. It means a lot to me." Tyler was very specific with what he wanted done with his life and Jeremy quickly came to stand beside him in his choices, simply because when Tyler said he was going to do something, that meant he would do it no matter what. He closed his eyes and breathed out a slow sigh. "I would love to top your rank one day, but sadly…it's a wartime rank anyway and is rarer than snow in the summer." Jeremy laughed heartily. He nearly jumped when Jessica tapped his shoulder. Tyler looked at his mother and smiled. "Hey mom, how's it going? It's a beautiful day out…"

"It is. William and Nathan are waiting for you to get them to school, dear."

"Oh!" Tyler quickly stood up, nearly knocking the porch chair he was in onto the floor. He got so caught up talking to his dad and enjoying the crisp outside air, that he'd forgotten that he needed to take his brothers to school and get to his own schooling. "Sorry!" He looked to his father with an apologetic stare and smiled warily. "Maybe we can talk later after school." Jeremy chuckled and rose to his feet, giving Tyler a fatherly hug.

"Yeah son, but don't forget that you're taking Nancy to soccer practice after school."

"Right…well I'm off! Love you mom, love you dad." He hugged his parents once more and ran through the house, making his way to the door. "Will, Nate, come on before you're late!" Wasn't long before William was next to him and Nathan, who wanted to blow the day off, dragged his feet to the door. The parents walked inside and watched through the window as Tyler's car drove off. Jessica smiled and looked to Jeremy, her eyes dancing happily around him.

"We've done well raising our children, right Jeremy?"

"Yes we have." He placed his arm around her shoulders and kissed her with soft tenderness. Pulling back and with a content sigh, she closed her eyes and rested her head upon his shoulder.

Fifteen year old Jacob Michaels was driving with his twenty-two year old cousin, Sarah. She was teaching him to drive so that he could get his driver's license. "I still don't see why Aunt Carly can't teach you. I mean just because she's on the supreme court doesn't mean she can't teach you to drive…" She was happy to teach him, she didn't want to give off the wrong information, but she did prefer his mother or father to teach. "My mom taught me how to drive…"

"Yeah, but your mom teaching you won't risk a political storm. You know how it is with politics, there's practically zero privacy!" Maybe it wasn't like movie stars, but it was something close, and it bothered him a lot. Envy was something that he knew well and he always wanted his cousin's life where not everything she did looked like a crazy publicity stunt by a politician's child. "Uncle Spencer had enough damn sense to just simply remain an attorney his whole life. Mom, heaven forbid she remain a judge, she has to go all the way to the _top_. You _know_ she's going to be the chief judge in maybe a year or two!" Sarah could feel his frustration, it was picking at everything nearby, as if to say 'look at me, I'm pissed off.' He saw more of his father than he saw of his mother, she was _always_ busy with politics and the legal system. It was how she was, she _had_ to be the best. Sam was the same way, but her sons didn't complain, they actually took great pride in the fact that their mom was the top dog in the FBI.

"You know, I would think most kids would love the idea of having their mom be such an important figure." She rolled her window down and rested her elbow outside. The wind whipped at her and she shut her eyes, enjoying the calm breeze. Jacob merely grunted and stared blankly at the road in front of him. "Left turn up here, Jacob."

"Most might think that, yeah, but that's _before_ their parent hits that high office."

"Jacob, left turn now…"

"But the fact still remains that politics drags a whole bunch of unnecessary and unwanted intrusion into our private lives." He was still missing the turn and if he missed the turn, they'd have to circle all the way around.

"Jacob! Turn left!" He was pulled from his tirade and shouted as his foot slammed on the brakes and his hands turned the wheel. Sarah screamed and her body was jerked to the right, slamming her head into the car's side. Once in the parking lot, Jacob slowed to a stop and looked to his cousin with awkward nervousness, chuckling slightly.

"Sorry about that." She growled and slowly turned her eyes to him. He winced at her glare and dropped his forehead to the steering wheel, he was _not_ getting the hang of this driving thing.

Savanna and Rachel drank their smoothies while watching the baseball game on the Groovy Smoothie's television screen. How this place was still open baffled the girls, but they didn't worry about it, considering it was still a fantastic place. "Your dad's how old and he's still playing?"

"Forty-two, Rachel…" It amazed her, especially considering the fact that he should be thinking about retiring. Kevin liked the publicity, tough, which was surprising. His dad was stunned that he worked so well with the media. "I'm still waiting for Mr. Benson to draft _me_ into the game." Her college years were almost over and she was going to become an all star just like her old man. Rachel, on the other hand, had chosen to become a veterinarian, so nothing special. Jonah would have liked to see her become a doctor, but she didn't want to have to deal with human lives. Truth be told, the thought of losing a human patient scared the living hell out of her, more so than the thought of losing an animal patient, which still was pretty hard for her to deal with. "I'm almost certain Mr. Benson's a coach…"

"He is, Savanna." Freddie became a coach, rather than really play the sports, he opted to stay out of the spotlight. It was the military that really allowed him to go into professional sports, as there _were_ plenty of baseball teams in the military. He was still affiliated with the military, but not so much. If there was a war, then he'd be called in, of course. He was a Lieutenant Colonel in the military, just as Sam was a one star General. Freddie played the game for a couple years, but when it all came down to it, he decided to just go the business route of baseball and thus, he'd been a coach for most of his life. "One of the best baseball coaches in the country, I think."

"Dear god, all our parents have _something_ political about them. I just don't get it." She rolled her eyes and Rachel laughed. In all due respect, there was nothing political about the majority of them, just a select few. "Well, maybe not…I mean, our dads aren't into politics." Rachel raised an eyebrow and started sipping her smoothie, taking in the whole flavor of her 'peach sunset' smoothie, it was the heavenly king of all smoothie flavors, in her mind. She opened her lips and sighed, letting her cool breath flow from her lips.

"Well let's see, Dad oversees all the hospitals in the city and Mom owns all the _Valentine's__Café_ restaurants across the globe…" Valentine's Café was a restaurant chain that Valerie started in the early 2020s, named after her grandfather, and it was an instant success. In its fifteen years of life, it opened its doors in every state in the country, but opened its first international operation in Venice, Italy in just 2028.

"How did your mom's restaurant get so good, anyway?" Savanna sipped her smoothie and watched Rachel curiously. She'd eaten at _Valentine's_ several times, the food there was remarkable, so it was clear to her _how_ it became so popular, but it was the secret behind that popularity that she didn't know too much about. "I mean, I know your mom's an excellent cook and all, but besides that…"

"You remember that trip Mom took to Italy a long time ago? She was already pretty skilled with how to make Italian foods, considering she already had an Italian heritage, but when she got to Italy, it was then that she _really_ learned. She dined and cooked with some of the best chefs in Italy!"

"Mamma mia…" The girls laughed together as an applause roared from the television. Kevin Lance had just hit another home run, as usual, following in his father's footsteps. Savanna looked to the screen and chuckled to herself, she was proud of her father but was determined to surpass him. "He's not better than grandpa yet, but I'm going to beat _both_ their records."

"Good luck doing that." Savanna smirked and met her best friend's eyes, her eyes were sparkling with excitement. She was going to become the first female baseball star to break a home run record.

"Believe me Rachel, it's in the stars. I can see it." Rachel smiled and leaned back in her chair, sipping her drink.

"I believe you. In the stars…just like it's in the stars that I'm going to get a brain freeze from drinking this thing." They laughed again and turned their attention to the screen once more.

Max and Chuck Gibson, 19 and 18 years of age, they were attending an upscale university in Pennsylvania. The brothers did almost everything together and were the best of friends. Unlike several people who were into politics, their parents made damn sure to always put family first. The two were sitting outside of their university, contemplating what they wanted to do with their lives. "Max, you've been here for a year now, got any advice for me?"

"Yeah, stay away from the head choir teacher, she's a witch." Chuck laughed and his older brother raised an eyebrow "I'm not kidding there, bro. She doesn't even care who our parents are."

"What, the heads of the FBI and the Secret Service don't scare the woman?"

"She'll _still_ give you a failing grade…" Chuck whistled and slowly shook his head. He would have to keep that in mind, but at least he wasn't trying to become a singer. Hell, Max probably had more of an idea on what to do with life than he did. He didn't want to be a fighter, didn't want to go into law enforcement, didn't want to go into politics or the military, and he _definitely_ didn't want to be involved in sports like Max.

"Good thing I don't care about music, then."

"Yeah, I suppose, but most freshmen almost always run into her somewhere along the way." Max cringed at the thought and fell back against the grass, staring up into the sky. He knew his cousin wanted to become a pilot, but he couldn't understand that. "You should look into law enforcement, bro. Why don't you want to go into that?"

"I don't know." Chuck closed his eyes and slowly exhaled. He wasn't cut out for it, to be honest. "I just don't want that to become like some family dynasty or something."

"I don't see how it would…"

"Think about it! Mom and Dad went into law enforcement, grandpa was somewhat involved in law enforcement as well, wasn't he?" Max lifted his eyes up in confusion and stared at the clouds in the sky. He couldn't recall their grandfather working at all with the police, unless the grandfather Chuck was referring to was Hector or Tyler, in which case, _sure_ they were involved with the police. He smirked and leaned back against the grass, pushing his hands behind his head.

"Which grandfather? The ones that got arrested or the one that sometimes counseled prisoners?"

"Uh…the latter…I don't know!" The brothers quieted down and continued to gaze upwards. The tension in the air was powerful, so powerful that they didn't want to make any sound or movements. Chuck moved his eyes downwards and spoke softly. "After grandpa's heart attack last year, I just…I can't think of anything that I really want to do."

"I know. You can't keep being depressed, though…It's not a good thing." Chuck pressed his lips together and pulled them back in a sad smile. Maybe Max was right, but he had been so close to David that it was just so hard to see him go.  
"I miss him too, but it was his time to go." Now the tension turned to sadness and Max quickly started to cut through that, not wanting to let his brother become depressive. "Anyway, on to a different subject now! I think what I want to be is a preacher." Chuck raised his eyebrow and Max patted him on the knee. Max rose to his feet and stared at his brother, who still looked so distant. "That would be nice, wouldn't it?"

"Yeah sure, why not…" Max narrowed his eyes and tilted his head, he had an idea that might get some blood pumping through Chuck's veins.

"Okay, stand up, it's time to wrestle. You don't get up, I'll make the first move." Chuck's eyes widened and within three seconds, Max was hurtling towards him. He cussed and rolled out of the way, leading his brother to crash hard into the grass. As Max spit the grass out of his mouth, Chuck narrowed his eyes and smirked.

"Oh it is on now." Max grinned and narrowed his eyes. How fortunate, his plan worked and now he got Chuck's attention.

Mason made his way into his home, exhausted from a long day. Lindsey looked up from the book she was reading and quickly set it down as her husband took a seat in his brown leather recliner. "They kept you long?" Mason nodded as she hurried over to him and began massaging his shoulders. He cracked his neck to the sides and moaned as her gentle touch soothed his aching muscles.

"Yeah, I'm not entirely sure what to do about this new deal that congress wants me to pass." It was a matter that was _still _highly controversial. Congress was pressing him to pass an abortion law along with another law that would close America's borders from illegal immigration. "I don't believe in abortion, Lindsey."

"I know, but it's a subject that's been thrown around by many presidents." She leaned forward and started massaging around the front of his neck. He stared ahead with a firm expression, watching his reflection in the television.

"I know, and they all ignored it. I don't ignore the serious issues." Most presidents had a major issue to focus on, then they focused all on that issue and paid either minimal to no attention on others. He wasn't going to be that type of president, and America knew that. His biggest issue, however, was the issue of racism. He was determined to be the president that brought an end to it. It was a longstanding battle that had begun with Lincoln, who abolished slavery, and now it would end with him. "I am not legalizing abortion. I refuse it, and any doctor that practices it will run the risk of losing their license." He shifted his eyes to the side to see his seventeen year old daughter bouncing into the room with her backpack. She was eager to be a part of the conversation.

"Dad, why is the constitution so damn confusing?"

"Because we've had so many different people adjust it and change it." Mason believed strongly in the original constitution, the one that the founding fathers drafted up. There were a few amendments that he would like to do away with, but wasn't going to bother with them, and there were some amendments he agreed strongly with. He also wanted to do away with the media, they had way too much power. Nowadays the President of the United States could mow his lawn and the media would come out with a story about how he either mowed the grass perfectly or he might have missed a spot right next to the house. _"Still working on downsizing the media's power…"_

"Okay, now another question. Gun rights, where do we stand on that, daddy?" Mason groaned and rubbed his forehead. He just couldn't catch a break these days.

"Melissa, I appreciate your questions, but can they wait until at least after dinner?" Melissa frowned and stared at her father for a second, his brow had distress creases and his fingers were slowly rubbing his temple. She smiled and walked over to him, giving him a large hug. "Sorry Daddy. I'm hungry anyway, what's for dinner?"

"Ask your mother…" Lindsey laughed and pulled her hands away from his shoulders. Mason used to be the one to make the meals, but he just couldn't get the time anymore, so she cooked. Today, she wanted to keep the meal a surprise, so he didn't know what was being planned.

"I made veal with spaghetti, mixed with chicken."

"Sounds great, when do we eat?"

"In about half an hour."

"Now there's a plan I can agree with." He laughed heartily and lowered his arm. Another issue that he agreed with, only because it helped him, was the term limit thing that the president before him dealt with. When Mason's second term of office ran out, he could run for a third term if he wanted to. Nobody actually went against him when he was up for reelection, so it was a shoe in, basically. He sighed softly and closed his eyes. "It doesn't get much better than this." The only ones that didn't seem to agree with his policies were the current Secretary of Education, Dale Briggs and the Secretary of Homeland Security, Keith Howard. These were the only two who were appointed to their positions before the president prior to Mason and were still holding their office. All others were appointed either by the previous or by Mason himself and they all agreed with his policies, give or take a few issues. The only vacant seat in the presidential line of succession was the Secretary of Veteran Affairs, which was in between Education and Homeland Security. The FBI was investigating that death, as it was under mysterious circumstances. In the presidential line of succession, Education, Veteran Affairs, and Homeland Security were the last three out of a total of eighteen positions, including the president.

"So honey, we're behind closed doors, is there any news on the Chief Justice?" Only those within the tight limbs of politics were aware of how things were going with the head of the Supreme Court. It would not become known to the politics just yet, but the man was in the early stages of Alzheimer's and battling stomach cancer. He refused to relinquish his position just yet, wanting to give it another year to two years before even considering it.

"Yeah, he wants to let the illness kill him before he retires…"

"Sad…" All America could do was wait, nothing more could be done until the man's death. Once he died, Mason would have to consider who would take over his place, he was strongly for either Carly, or another justice, but leaning more towards Carly.

Freddie and Melanie rested with their two children at the dinner table. Derek was attending his second year at the community college a couple miles away while his younger sister, Angie, who was 15, was a cheerleader at Valley High School. Derek constantly teased her about that fact, calling her a 'valley girl' for that fact. "If I'm a Valley Girl, then what did that make you, a Valley Boy?"

"It would, if it wasn't for the fact that I attended _Ridgeway_, not _Valley_."

"Oh yeah, I forgot, Ridegway…Home of the nation's oldest high school principal ever." Melanie raised her eyebrow and Freddie cringed. Ridgeway's 91 year old principal was Ms. Francine Briggs.

"I always said, that woman will _never_ stop teaching. Hell, her son is the Secretary of Education for this country." Melanie took a bite of her spaghetti and swallowed them quickly.

"No wonder the guy disagrees with Mason's policies, his mother's a stick in the mud that wants all these strict disciplinary laws and other forcible things."

"For that woman, in a perfect world, kids would be handcuffed to their desks, their mouths taped shut, and classes going for twelve hours instead of eight. Along with impossible exams followed with impossible homework…" How the woman was even principal, they couldn't figure it out. Hell, it was the reason they transferred Derek from Rideway and into Valley. "I wish Mason would just redo the whole damn cabinet, especially Education and Homeland Security, I just have a bad feeling about those two."

"Yes, but it's not our place, Freddie…"

"The hell it's not. My brother may be smart, but he's also being stupid about his cabinet." Freddie tensed and stared down at his food. He so needed to channel into his 'inner twin' and mentally kick some sense into his brother.

"Freddie, Mason is doing the best he can. Besides, he has to consider who will take their places. So far, he's not figured that much out." Freddie shrugged and took a bite of his meal. He wouldn't complain any further, it wasn't like him to concern himself with politics, despite the fact that almost everyone he knew was into the whole political game. He smiled and leaned over, kissing Melanie lightly on the lips, causing her to blush at the sudden gesture.

"You're right, as usual Mel. How was work?"

"Oh it…" She blinked to regain her awareness. How was it after all these years, Freddie _still_ managed to affect her like he did? She chuckled nervously and cleared her throat. Angie rolled her eyes and grinned.

"Hey earth to Mom, if you don't come to your senses, I'm going to fling spaghetti at you!" Melanie snapped to her senses and looked sternly at her daughter. It was strange, Angie took more after her aunt than anything, but that was fine. It kept Melanie on her feet taking care of her children as they grew.

"Do that and you lose the privileges of seeing your friends and your computer for a week, got it?" Angie groaned and Derek smirked teasingly at her. She never disrespected her mother, that was the one thing that Freddie and Melanie managed to stress upon their children growing up, that it was wrong to disrespect your parents. "And Freddie, work was good. The kids all did their assignments well, I'm just not looking forward to grading them tonight."

"Well maybe I can 'help' you grade." He smirked and Melanie raised her finger up, knowing what he had in mind and smiling playfully.

"Ah uh, I can't let you do that Freddie, you're not distracting me from my grading. Maybe afterwards." Angie and Derek looked at each other, disturbed by their parents' discussion. They swore it was punishment, but their parents acted like this all the time. The two looked at their parents, cleared their throats, and spoke simultaneously.

"Mom, Dad, with all respect; _Get a room!_"

Guppy and Brandy sat in one of the soft, red velvet cushioned booths of _Valentine's Café_, which was currently their favorite Italian restaurant. Brandy had her head upon Guppy's shoulder, her eyes closed and lips pulled back into a smile. They married two years ago after dating on and off for several years. Now, a brand new chapter was opening in their lives, as Brandy was pregnant with their first son, she was due sometime in the beginning of June. "Paul must be happy, he's kicking around down there…I think he's going to like Italian food, Guppy."

"Maybe." Guppy smiled and placed his hand upon her belly. His eyes grew with astonishment when he felt the sudden, almost pulsating feeling beneath her skin, their son was most definitely kicking. "I just can't wait." Brandy smiled and kissed Guppy's lips.

"Just another couple weeks and we're going to be _parents!_ I wish my brother were alive to see this, actually…he would have made a good uncle."

"You think so?"

"Yes." She honestly believed, without a doubt, that Lenny had been a proper person when it came to his family. If he had not been so obsessed with Jessica, he would have been the best brother ever to her. "Paul Leonard Gibson…" Her smile brightened and Guppy removed his hand. To them, to his uncles Gibby and Jeremy, to Freddie and everybody else, Paul represented change. Change, just as Mason and his presidential cabinets would represent, just as the change that Sam and Carly would strive for, would be everything and more that Paul would represent. To be done away with the old, the past no more a grievance, and to invest in the new, that was what his birth meant to everybody.

Brandy placed her hand on her belly and let tears escape her eyes, tears of joy. "The end of a long road and the start of a new, fresh journey…so beautiful, Guppy, it's all so beautiful…" Guppy smiled and wrapped his arm around her shoulders. He hated that name of his, but preferred it over his full name and didn't want to bother changing it. Trashing the thought, he pulled Brandy in close and placed his hand upon hers.

"You're right, it is beautiful."

* * *

Well Lantern, Hiruma, and Rumble, I want to thank you for coming along for the ride. I never expected Boarded to be this long (or even strike a sequel idea), but it did. Thank you for your reviews, you kept the story moving, you did. Now, a little about the sequel.

It's politics, there's drama, there's scandal, there's much to be seen in the sequel of BOARDED, be prepared for an event which threatens the very line of succession. Can Freddie find and rescue his brother from certain doom while Sam, Gibby and Jeremy lead the FBI, Secret Service, and the military in a race against time itself to locate and save all members of the succession? Lantern, Hiruma, and Rumble, I DO expect to see you *smirks*. There's also going to be a nice thing about the subplot and a secret, secret twist that perhaps only Lantern knows, but I will tell you this: It has to do with Sims 3 and Ambrosia.

I am sad but a bit relieved at the same time that the end of Boarded has come, let's all have a moment of silence before we click off the page. Thank you, again!


	95. Time Paradox

Boarded

Disclaimer: I do not own iCarly!

A/N: Yes this is the chapter that opens to the _other_ semi-sequel to Boarded. Thanks to Lantern, and some ideas that came to me from the Sims 3 Ambitions game, I've made a project out of Boarded. RACE AGAINST TIME continues being the proper sequel to Boarded (and Sims 3 Ambrosia and characters are there), but the story this chapter is going to lead into is going to be called "BOARDED: TIME PARADOX". The idea? Well in Sims 3, there's this inventor profession in which you can make a time machine. Well "Time Paradox" will go through all of Boarded (With certainly LESS chapters) and explain what would happen if a certain thing was changed. How different Boarded would be. This will be written alongside the Boarded sequel (So you don't get confused, the sequel follows this timeline of boarded, not the paradox) Okay author note out of the way, let's READ THE CHAPTER!

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Chapter 94 (Time Paradox)

Ty grumbled as he drove past the sign for Sunset Valley, how could _Jackie_ not listen to him? He stated explicitly that the ambrosia thing seemed like a load of crock. Next to Ty was family friend, Rachel, who's sister had also gone with the group of kids. In the backseat was Max, he was stunned that his brother, of all things, would honestly be concerned with some nut job reporter and possibly want to revive a long dead ghost. Not only was that crazy, the mayor of the town was crazy as hell, from what their mother seemed to state after pulling up the report. Also in the backseat was Derek, who was pissed with his little sister. How, when their parents were kidnapped with their uncle, would she go off and get _herself_ into trouble?

Rachel sighed and hung her elbow from the window, gazing out as the homes passed by them. "Where do you think they are, Ty? Don't they want to try and bring back your grandfather?" Ty tilted his head to the side and shrugged. He'd never heard much about the man, nor had he seen much of him. All he knew was what his dad had told him, that the man had been a great man before something screwed him up, whatever that was. Something had allowed something evil to slip into him, but after his death, evidently he was himself again. It baffled him, but he sought to put it out of his mind.

"If this ambrosia thing were true, which I'm not saying it is or it isn't…" He tapped his thumb on the steering wheel uncomfortably as the boys in the back seat watched him. "Dad would freak the hell out, probably…if his dad stood before him, alive." He chuckled inwardly and took a sharp left turn. "Whatever, though, the important thing is we need to get our brothers and sisters _away_ from this wretched city." The others nodded with agreement as Tyler slowed the car to a stop. Frowning, they eyed a fork in the road. They were trusting Ty not to get lost, but at the same time, he had absolutely no idea where he was.

"I got a text from Angie just a bit ago," Derek stated as he leaned casually against his seat. Ty raised his eyebrows and glanced in the rearview mirror. Prayerfully, Angie told them where they were. "She said Raven's the one that made the Ambrosia, since she's the best cook and read the book about it." Rachel laughed, feeling a sense of pride in her youngest sibling. Raven was the one who took mostly after her mom, she could cook _anything_. "I think the revival was a success, but they're not sure if he's alive or not."

"A _success? _Are you kidding me!" Derek shook his head, Max groaned, and Rachel watched Ty staring ahead in total shock. He pressed his lips together and quickly shook his head, smacking the top of the steering wheel. There wasn't anything bad about Tyler, so it wasn't like they were reviving an evil spirit, he knew better than that. However, the fact that they were doing so at all was just too much. "I always say, it's better to stay out of something if you don't know what's going to happen. If you don't know what will take place, don't screw with it!"

"Yeah…" Derek flipped open his phone as Max leaned his head against his closed hand. He looked over and asked him where the kids were, if Angie had mentioned it. Derek nodded and glanced up. "She said they were trapped in the mayor's basement."

"Okay." Ty stared at the turns in front of him. Left, right, the mayor's house would have to be at the end of one of these paths. He thought of what trouble his younger siblings could be getting into and closed his eyes, sighing with frustration. Rachel pointed out her window and glanced over.

"I think it's right…"

"Nah, something is pulling me to the left." Rachel shrugged as Ty turned left and began to drive down the long and winding path. His gut had actually told him to go right, but his mind was thinking constantly for him to turn left. He had to wonder if the street would wind around.

The roads were paved nicely, the grassy neighborhoods were lush and beautiful. However, the path behind him was the one that went out towards the beach and the lake. Where he was going, those lush rolling hills seemed to be going away. It was unsettling and the others were staring at Ty with uncertainty. He was gazing off at the large black mansion in the distance. It was a bit frightening, how it rose into the darker clouds and seemed to attract trouble. Max cleared his throat and started to unconsciously rub his knees. "Ty? Do you have any idea where you're at?" Ty blinked as they passed a sign pointing down one unpaved road. Derek laughed uncomfortably and closed his eyes.

"That thing just pointed to a cemetery. I have a feeling the mayor's house is the _other_ way." There had been two markers on the sign, one arrow pointing to the cemetery and the other pointing to Goth Manor.

"Oh yeah, but wouldn't we just _love _visiting the Goth Manor?" Rachel asked with a subtle smirk, staring at Ty. Ty chuckled nervously and looked at her. She'd been the one trying to give directions the whole way, and most of her directions were _right_, so he probably should have listened to her when she told him to turn the other way. She cleared her throat and gestured her thumb to the mansion that Tyler was coming up upon. "I don't know about you, but I'm certain we don't want to pay these guys a visit."

"Aw I'm sure they're not all _that_ bad." Rachel looked in the backseat as Max and Derek shrugged their shoulders. Ty was pulling to a stop outside the mansion in order to ask directions to the Mayor's home. As his car halted, the group exited the vehicle and started walking up the sidewalk. The house was breathtaking up close, and perhaps not all that scary, as it was dark. As long as they made it quick, they'd be fine. Once at the door, Ty rang the doorbell and turned to his friends. "So, what type of people do you think lives here?" The others tapped their chins and Rachel was the first to think of something.

"Eccentric billionaires?" Ty laughed and looked over to Max, who had his arms crossed and was staring hard at the door.

"Someone who isn't the mayor…"

"Okay, okay, so I took a wrong turn and I _accept_ that." Ty rolled his eyes and turned back to the door. "Geez, I'm never going to live that down, am I. It's not like I'm the one that brought back my dead grandfather." Max and Derek laughed and Rachel carefully stepped of the porch. Just as she did, a middle aged looking man stepped around the house. He had soft brown hair and was wearing gloves on his hand.

"Hey uh, Ty, I think the owner's over here." Ty looked over and met the man's eyes with a smile. He stepped down and extended his hand.

"Hi, I'm Tyler 'Ty' Lance." The man shook his hand with a firm grip and held his gaze.

"I'm Mortimer, it's a pleasure to meet you. What brings you here?" It wasn't hard to tell by Ty's glance that these four were lost. Ty chuckled nervously and felt his friends' chiding glares upon him.

"We're lost, actually. Trying to locate the Mayor's home…"

"Oh, I see! Well…" Mortimer rubbed his chin and poked his head around the corner of his house. He smiled at his invention and turned back to Ty. "I can help you, but first you can help me!" Ty frowned as Mortimer started pulling him around the corner. Rachel, Max, and Derek glanced nervously at each other, then followed them. As they rounded the corner, they saw a strange looking machine standing next to a table, it had large doors on it that seemed to open from the middle into slits. There were buttons on the side, and a slightly metallic feel to it. "This is my time machine, only found in Sunset Valley…After all, _I_ just invented it! Don't let any inventor tell you otherwise!"

"Um…" Ty cocked an eyebrow as Mortimer tapped his knuckles on the machine. He watched with peaking curiosity as the man pressed the buttons and the doors slid open, letting white smoke pour from a purple light inside the machine. "What do you need help with?"

"I need somebody to try it! To tell me if the time machine _works!_" He didn't want to be rude and turn the man down, but he was honestly a bit concerned about the fact that Mortimer himself had not attempted to try the thing. "I _know_ it works, but I just need to test that. I need to be sure there's not like some keeper of time or something who might kill me. I mean, I'm the richest man in town!"

"Really? You don't…say…" Ty lifted his eyes up as Mortimer started to push him towards the machine. "Hey! I haven't agreed." Mortimer laughed and shook his head.

"There's no time. However, you need to go in with someone…buddy system in all."

"Thanks for that, at least…" Ty's tone was very dry and helpless. He was kind of afraid to turn this man down, but he was also a bit afraid of what might be behind him. However, he couldn't stop feeling the overwhelming rush of adrenaline pumping through him. He turned his head back and smiled slightly. He _wanted _to try it. Hell, who really knew where it would take him. "Yeah, I'll help you."

"Ty…" Rachel spoke with a warning tone. He chuckled nervously as she narrowed her eyes, they did not have time for this. Mortimer raised his eyebrows and quickly grabbed her wrist. Her eyes widened in bewilderment. "Hey!"

"You go in with him!"

"I'd rather not go in-" It was too late, by the time she finished her statement, Mortimer had already shoved both of them into the time machine. She growled and stared at Ty, who gave her an innocent, apologetic look. "I swear Ty, if anything happens to my sister…"

"Hey Rachel, don't forget that I have siblings in trouble too, right now. If going through this stupid thing's going to help us get directions, then so be it." Rachel sighed and closed her eyes, they didn't really have an option, now did they? Better to just get this over with than sit there and argue. The two looked ahead of them and saw what seemed to be a swirling vortex of purple clouds, they were opening, as though a rip in the very fabric of time. "I wonder how much time we have in here…"

"Hopefully enough to just get what we need from the crazy guy out there." She had been right again, Mortimer was an eccentric millionaire, if not billionaire. "Next time, listen to me."

"Yeah, whatever…" As they went through the time rip, they stepped out in what seemed to be the obvious distant past. For in front of them was none other than Spencer, running back and forth between the couch and kitchen counter, putting scrap metal together. Ty raised an eyebrow and Rachel quickly pulled Ty to the side, hiding behind a wall. She had a feeling Spencer might be able to see them, this hunch was supported by the fact that when they bumped the wall, Spencer looked up curiously. When he returned his attention to whatever his project was, Ty let out a deep breath. "What is he working on?"

"Labra-doodle!" Spencer replied, thinking he was hearing voices. He lifted his head up and looked to his elevator. It opened and Sasha Striker stepped out. Spencer smiled and rushed over to her. "Hey Sasha, you remember that guy a couple years back? His wife wants another one of these Labrador sculptures." He gave her a peck on the lips and gripped her hand, pulling her to the sculpture. She smiled slightly and ran her hand smoothly along the metallic back.

"I think it's amazing, Spencer." He nodded and looked to his work, his brow furrowed and his lips turned downwards.

"Yeah, but…" His eyes fell a bit and he slowly shook his head. "I was thinking about what you said the other day…"

"Spencer…" Sasha frowned and placed her hand to the side of his face. His eyes moved to hers as she searched them. "Baby, you don't have to take what I said there to heart. I was under stress, and you _know_ I love your inventions."

"I _know,_ but you're right." She frowned as he placed his hands on her sides and continued to gaze into her eyes. "This isn't a _life_. If we're going to be together, if we're going to one day raise a family…this isn't the way to do it! I'm barely making _rent_, and screw living outside of a studio apartment, I don't make enough money…"

"Baby…" Spencer kissed her lips and let out a small sigh.

"Just the other week, when Nevel had gone through his little hell, I was thinking…I was doing nothing, I had absolutely _nothing_ to offer anyone." Sasha frowned and tenderly traced his jaw.

"You have everything to offer me, everything to offer Carly…"

"No, I don't!" Spencer turned around and stared at the dog sculpture with a frown. "All I do is dig through piles of junk and put crap together. I'm worth so much more than that! So I've decided…" He turned back to her and looked into her eyes. "I'm going to go back into law, I'm going to take things more seriously."

"Spencer…" Ty and Rachel glanced at each other, then looked back to see Spencer place his hands on Sasha's arms and gaze seriously at her.

"I am determined, I'm going to give you a good life. If we ever have a family, I'm going to give them a good life too. I'm _not_ going to be known as the crazy father who does nothing all day…"

Just as Sasha was about to say something else, the time rip tore open and the two time travelers felt themselves pulled back into the vortex. They screamed as they rushed through a purple tunnel filled with lights. Ty stared back and saw what looked like a menacing cloaked figure watching them, his eyes widened and he shouted out. Rachel screamed and couldn't stand to look at him. This figure was the time keeper, and he would eradicate them if they weren't careful.

The vortex opened up and the two were sent hurtling onto a tile flooring. They groaned and slowly pushed themselves up. Where were they now? They looked around and found themselves in the middle of a kitchen. The walls were painted beige and an oaky smell came to their nostrils. Someone had the fireplace running.

They were facing the entrance of the kitchen, the door led out into the living room where a woman was watching television with her dog, a golden retriever. They looked behind them and saw a polished oak counter following along the wall. It came to a stop at the corner of the room where a ladder was propped up against the wall and electrical wires were hanging from the ceiling. "Hey Ty, you wonder why the woman's got wires coming down?"

"Maybe a busted light or something." They heard a voice coming from the living room and peered around the corner to see a man with a slightly bulky build holding a brown wallet and talking to the older woman. Her television was muted.

"They might send me back overseas. I got a wife and kid, not to sure I want to leave them behind. My mother's ailing too…"

"Yes, but you have to do what they call you to. If they want you to go overseas, then you will go overseas. Be fortunate, there has not been any reason for it to happen." The man nodded his head and looked at his wallet. He had a family picture edged into the small compartment for photos. He smiled at his loving wife and his young children.

"My oldest is four, he's got a ball game in a few days. My youngest, three years old. My wife's never been happy with me being a part of the military, always afraid I will be called out, and with as many times as my superior calls me out onto missions…" Tears started to form in his eyes and he shook them off, he didn't want to think about the truth. His wife wanted a divorce, she couldn't stand being a military wife. The woman looked at him, her grey curls bouncing as her head turned. She frowned as her eyes met his, she could guess what he was thinking.

"Does your wife worry too much? It is hard, and not many people in the military stay together." The man closed his eyes and turned towards the kitchen, he needed to get back to work. Ty and Rachel quickly ducked beneath the nearby dining table, hoping not to be seen.

"She's agreed to grant me custody of our eldest…She says she wants to move up to _Washington_. I asked her what was up there for her…" She had already met someone else, someone who wasn't in the military and could provide for her. He was an old friend of hers. The man cleared his throat and started walking. "I'm sorry. Thank you for the coffee break, ma'am, but I need to get back to fixing your light. My son's waiting for his dad to come home." He grinned with pride and the woman smiled back. He as always going to be proud of his children. He was going to make sure, no matter what, to remain a good father and to raise his son properly.

"I wonder who that is," Ty whispered softly. He didn't recognize the man, but it seemed like the time stream would have led them into some past that they had a connection to. What was their connection to this man? Rachel studied the man intensely as he walked to the ladder.

"Something's familiar about him, Ty. I'm not sure what…" They slowly left from beneath the table, their backs were beginning to ache from bending under it. They looked back to the living room and Rachel stared at the dog. It was a relatively small golden retriever, a puppy. She turned her gaze back to the man, who was beginning to hum a tune.

The man reached down and lifted a water dish from the floor, setting it on the counter next to him. "Better keep this out of the way of the wires." He stepped onto the first rung of the ladder and reached into his toolbox, pulling some tool out and reaching into the ceiling. "Now I'll just have to splice this one here…"

Ty and Rachel leaned against the counter and watched carefully. It was evident this man was an electrician, as well as someone who deeply loved his family. They couldn't think of any electricians that they knew. Suddenly they heard a barking sound. Smiling, they looked back in the other room to see the dog playing with a ball. The dog tossed the ball into the kitchen and ran in, grabbing the ball wildly and growling.

The man continued his work, ignoring the dog, as it wasn't close at all to him. The dog barked again and tossed the ball into the air, then jumped up and grabbed it, shaking its head rapidly. "Aw, such a cute puppy, Ty." Ty laughed as the dog tossed the ball passed the counter. Rachel raised her eyebrow and her face paled. "Uh oh, if that dog gets too close, he could knock that man off his ladder!"

"Hm?" Ty saw it too, the dog was getting dangerously close to where the man was working. His eyes widened as the dog's ball rolled beneath the ladder. "Yikes!" The man still didn't seem to be aware, his thoughts were hard pressed about his family. What was he going to do as his son grew and started asking why his mom and little brother left him? He'd have to make sure he did everything possible to give his son whatever love and support he needed. Ty saw the water dish and swallowed, he could see the danger. He quickly charged in and after some time of thought, Rachel finally realized who this man was.

"Ty, wait!" The dog started running towards the ladder, but Ty was faster. He picked the dog up and Rachel swallowed hard as Ty turned his eyes to her. The next few seconds were spent in silence, had they just done something they should not have? They were starting to think maybe nothing was going to happen, but when Tyler Elliot began putting the wires back together and sealing up the ceiling, that's when they felt the sudden surge in their stomachs. The dog whimpered and looked helplessly at its ball, moving its legs rapidly in the air. Rachel mouthed her next words. "That was your grandfather. This is where his good side was supposed to _die_."

"Wha…" Tyler's eyes widened as he turned his attention back to the man. So this was when Tyler 'died' and the demon entered his body, possessing him. By grabbing the dog, Ty just prevented all of that. He suddenly began to feel a sense of both happiness and sickness as he watched Tyler step off the ladder. Tyler turned around and met Ty's eyes, blinking momentarily and raising his eyebrow.

"Hi, who are you?" Tyler squinted his eyes as Ty chuckled nervously and took a step back. What was it he had said before? Don't mess with something if you don't know what it is? Normally he was smart enough to follow his own advice. "You know, you look just like my son…" Ty swallowed hard and slowly set the dog back on the table. The dog instantly shot for the ball, hitting the ladder and yelping. Tyler's eyes widened and he jumped backwards to avoid the ladder as it fell to the floor with a clank. The water dish soon followed it. Tyler's mouth fell agape and Ty smacked his forehead. "That could have been bad…" Rachel groaned and clenched her eyes shut.

"More than you will ever know…Come on Ty! We're leaving _now!_" Ty's head shot up as Rachel grabbed his wrist and started to pull him out the back door. Tyler frowned and scratched his head, watching the two with concern. He smiled slightly and slowly shook his head as he turned back to collect his tools.

"Mrs. Grissom, I'm done with the job." Tyler walked into the living room and smiled as the woman glanced at him. "Tell your husband I'm not charging him anything."

"Oh you don't have to do that…" The woman was frail and dying, and her husband was almost constantly at work. Grissom never liked it much, but there wasn't a thing to do to change the way things worked. The woman pulled money from her purse and handed it to the reluctant electrician. "Please, take it. Just promise me one thing, you and my husband will remain friendly after this."

"Ma'am…"

"You wouldn't turn down an old woman's offer would you?" Tyler chuckled nervously and closed his eyes.

"You're not that much older than I am, you know." Grissom was a few years older than he was, putting him in his early forties. His wife was actually older than him, and sadly, already gaining the grey hair from being so sick. Tyler met her eyes and sighed, she was bound determined to pay him. He wasn't going to argue with a good friend. He gently took the money and slowly nodded, tears in his eyes. She was scheduled to pass away in a few months, the doctors couldn't do a thing more for her. "Yes ma'am, I'll keep in touch with Mr. Grissom…maybe even show him around my church."

"You do that. Oh, and I'm going to tell you the same thing I tell old Gil, make sure that Catherine doesn't let her own ex-husband get the better of her, and to be sure to put equal balance in her work and family life…she has a young daughter who needs her mother's guidance, just as Jeremy is going to need you." Tyler smiled and slowly nodded.

"I understand, and I will." He gripped the money tightly and closed his eyes. "Are you sure you want to pay me? I mean, your wisdom is enough…" The kind woman smirked and tilted her head slightly.

"You know I'll just make Gil track you down and pay the money anyway." Tyler laughed and slowly nodded, there really was no saying 'no' to this woman. "Besides, maybe your son can use some of it to buy a candy bar with his little friend that lives across the street from your mother."

"Thank you, then, and yeah…definitely." She was referring to the Trent family, whom Tyler knew very well. John Trent was his superior, after all.

Ty and Rachel screamed as they were thrown from the time machine, having narrowly escaped the time keeper one last time. This time the clouds and the vortex wasn't purple, it was red. Upon being thrown out, they felt Max, Derek, and Mortimer lifting them up.

"What the hell did you do?" Max shouted as Derek attempted to keep everything calm. It seemed they all had two different memories in their heads, with one of those memories fading away like a dream. Ty moaned as he rubbed his head and Rachel slowly groaned. "The time machine started going ballistic and Mortimer had to hurry to get you guys out of there!"

"Really?" Ty turned in time to see the machine explode into bits and Mortimer heave a depressed sigh. "I think…I may have drastically changed time. Just tell me, because I'm a bit confused. I seem to remember we were going after our younger siblings because they were going to try and revive grandpa, but…it seems like that-"

"Might have been a dream? Yeah, your grandpa's _alive and well_, dude. Don't you remember? He's the new Secretary of Veteran Affairs that President Mason appointed just before the whole national crisis thing…"

"Oh yeah, I uh…" Rachel moaned as Tyler smacked his forehead. "I didn't forget that, it's just that…Rachel, you know what I'm talking about right?"

"I shouldn't help you here." Ty chuckled nervously as Rachel crossed her arms and narrowed her eyes. It was okay, considering Max and Derek remembered the prior memory as well. However, they didn't know how things could change like this. Rachel sighed and turned to Max and Derek. "Ty saved his grandfather from his first death, so the guy doesn't go crazy, doesn't become possessed by an evil demon, and is an excellent father. So what does this mean?" Max and Derek stared on with wide eyes as Mortimer watched with a weary expression.

"He just created a paradox, didn't he…" Ty moaned as the group continued to stand in awkward silence. How could they explain this? There was no way to explain this. Of course, they wouldn't be in trouble, since only they would remember the prior memory due to them being so close to the time machine. Everyone else would just carry on as if nothing changed at all.

"I knew I should have taken that right turn…"

* * *

Yes, in the sequel Ty and the others WILL TAKE THE RIGHT TURN. Remember that. Now I'm going to be writing RACE AGAINST TIME, _and_ BOARDED: TIME PARADOX, so keep a lookout for BOTH. Believe me, Boarded: Time Paradox will be _very _different, ESPECIALLY THE RODEO! You're not going to want to miss that! I'm also hoping, shooting for, knowing it will be SHORTER than Boarded was! Only because there won't be _as much drama_ or plot stuff as there was.


End file.
